At first, I felt that I couldn't write this post, because I don't practice self care consistently. Teaching takes so much out of us that it is imperative we take care of ourselves. That being said, I took the time to think about ways that I do practice self care, and here are the ways that I've practiced self care in the past week:
- I enjoy shopping, but don't have the time during the week, and I don't like the crowds on the weekend. I prefer to go Saturday mornings before the stores are mobbed, and every now and then I will take time on Saturday mornings to go shopping alone.
- One day last week I left school about 10 minutes after contract time to get home to exercise.
- One night last week, I completed all of my priority school-related tasks for that day. Instead of working on other school-related tasks to get ahead, I decided to spend some time on a project that I had been wanting to work on all week. I enjoy crafting, and I want to make time to create more often.
- Every week I make time to clean my house. Yes, again, this is something that I should always do. I don't particularly enjoy cleaning, but I love being in a clean house. It helps me enjoy my time at home more, and helps me stay calm. I'm one of those people that cannot focus on my work if my work space is a mess.
- Each school day, I tidy up my desk, classroom, and set out my materials for the next day. Yes, these are things that I should do anyway. But for me, some mornings can be extremely stressful. This practice really cuts down potential stress for me.
- When possible, I put effort into my appearance. I like to dress professionally, do something with my hair, and put on make up. Ultimately, when I look good, I feel good.
Overall, I've found that every few days I need to make a task that makes me happy a priority. This is not my definitive list of self care habits. I'm still working on balancing work with home, but I thought it worthwhile to at least share what I have done recently for me. The list turned out longer than I expected.
