Be Mindful of Yourself: 5 Quick Ways to Recharge and Reconnect

Every educator reaches a point where they need to take time for themselves to rejuvenate. Whether you're an administrator, classroom teacher, school nurse or librarian the school year can take a toll. With even the best intentions we can move a lot of people, projects and issues in front of our own physical and mental health. We've all done it. The "I'll eat lunch right after school" or the "I don't need more than 5 hours of sleep". I use those examples because they are two of my go to quotes during the school year. We have to be mindful of our bodies and what they're telling us or we could end up with some serious problems. Skipping a couple hours of sleep to get through emails. can't be a part of your routine. Short of saying "I'm never skipping lunch again" there's a ton of things we can do to keep ourselves ready to take on a new day, every day.

It's the weekend, sleep in a little!
If you're like me you don't want to sleep the day away. I want to get every possible minute out of the weekend. Getting an extra hour or two of sleep on the weekend is a great way to give yourself a boost. If you're used to rolling out of bed after 5 or 6 hours of sleep try 7-8 hours and see how you're doing. An alternate would be to get a nap in on Saturday and Sunday. If you're a real overachiever get the 8 hours and a nap. Go for it!
Disconnect
Take some time in the evenings and shut your phone off for an hour or two. You won't hear any email alerts, texts, Facebook updates and whatever else makes a ping noise on your device. It will all be waiting for you when you turn it back on. If you don't answer that email in under a minute or aren't quickly replying to a parent who needs to speak with you then so be it. Take some of your time back in the evening.
Reflect
Whether its the end of the school year or 4 o'clock on a Monday, reflection can help you put things in perspective and wipe away some of that work related stress. You don't have to be on a sandy beach in a yoga pose to do it either. Although that would be nice. Turn the radio off on your ride home and process the day. Take a day after the school year gets out to decompress. Think through any unfinished business. What will you do different for your next lesson or school year? The great thing about reflection is it can happen anytime, anywhere. We just have to make time for it.

Reflect: Anytime, Anywhere by Jason McDowell

Write
Sometimes putting your thoughts on paper is the way to go. It gets them out of your head and forces you to put some type of organization to them. Pro's and cons, positives and not so positives, celebrations and moments of failing forward, they are all worth writing down and thinking about. Writing as part of your weekly routine is a great habit to start. It also gives you the opportunity to go back months later and see where your head was at.
Time with Loved Ones
Reconnect with your family and friends. Push those deadlines one more day and focus on those around you. After all they care about and support you. What better way to feel recharged than to spend some time with these people. Call a friend or relative you've been too busy to connect with recently. See how they are doing. What's new in their life? Take some time off of your stress. It can be a light hearted conversation or a week long vacation. Spending time with those that we care about helps heal the heart and gets us ready to fight the good fight another day.

They main thing is that we all (myself included) need to remember that life is short, take it a day at a time and love it while it lasts!

Reflect on Last Year for a Better Next Year!

Philosopher John Locke is quoted as saying "Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him". We were all drawn to education by different forces. Some by a supportive classroom teacher, some by a relative that was in education and others by the desire to help kids be the best that they can be in this world. Whatever your reasoning we can all agree that growth is the key to a successful classroom and school. I want to get stale and show no growth, said no one ever! 

 As educators we are constantly reading. It may not always be for pleasure but there's always something. Summertime is when the tweets go wild with what books everyone has on their summer reading list. We've got that covered. If you don't read, it's a good time to start!
I like to look at good company as my PLN (professional learning network). When I joined Twitter a few years back it changed the way I looked at professional learning. Being active on Twitter connects you with new voices with new ideas. It offers support on a daily, or hourly, basis if you need it. It's up to the minute, personalized PD at it's finest. Follow me, I'll follow you back and we can learn from each other! Twitter @jasoncmcdowell 
Let's get back to the purpose for this entire post, reflection. It's the final piece to this quote about education. Reflection is valuable in so many ways. Don't like the way a lesson went, reflect and make adjustments. Had a difficult encounter with a parent? Take time to reflect on your next steps and what could have been done differently in the first place. We don't always have time at the end of the day to process everything that went on. This time of year is a great one for educators. It can be easier, not EASY but easier, to find some time to think about the previous year. What would you do differently going into next year. What pleasant surprises do you want to build on in your classroom, school or district?