The Importance of Professional Self-Care
June is “Professional Wellness Month.” Why is it important for educators everywhere to stay healthy and motivated in our world today? What does professional or career wellness mean to you? Professional wellness is crucial to the survival of any person’s career and healthy working environment. In today’s professional world, educators are constantly striving to achieve academic and social emotional success for their students, school community, and their families.
In order to ensure professional well-being and proactive success that will keep you strong throughout the school year and your educational career, you MUST evaluate the work environment you are in, work on developing a growth mindset, balance your work and personal life, and create an inclusive environment you are proud of. Read on for specific strategies that will help ALL educators practice the necessary skills for professional and career well-being.
Evaluate Your Situation.
Assess your situation and what is most important to you at this time. Are there any events in your educational career and personal life that prompt you to make a change? These could be dissatisfaction with your work environment, a mid-life crisis, challenging colleagues, or major life events such as birth, marriage, or divorce that are keeping you from your professional well-being. The search is not just about finding ways to help you with your career and work priorities. It is about discovering “YOU”, re-evaluating your priorities, and what or who would bring more positivity and meaning to your life.
Develop a Growth Mindset.
As humans, it is VERY normal to have some fears and doubts as you’re thinking about various changes. Do your best to develop a mindset that would allow you to grow instead of letting your fears take control.
Many people desire to make a change, but struggle with the process of making it happen. You often hear them say, “Yes, but how would I do that? What if this does not work?” Sometimes we work against our own best interest or we have a challenging time making the best choices for our professional well being. If this happens, try to shift your focus and develop a positive outlook on your career and your work environment. You could try listening to podcasts that lift you up and push your thinking to new horizons, shed unwanted negativity from people around you, create vision boards with your students, or use mindfulness practices in the classroom at specific times of the school day.
Balance Work with Life.
Can you have it all? Do you want a great career and plenty of time for your family? It is difficult to excel in all areas of life, and I know all educators want to excel in the workplace, be the best caregiver, and be an amazing wife or husband at home. Once you accept the fact that perfection is not as important as well-being in the workplace, you will change your mindset in a way that opens the door for balance, positivity and professional growth.
Focus on the Positive (even when it’s challenging).
The world may feel a little crazy right now, but it’s best to focus on the positive to navigate each workday effectively. Discuss with your colleagues different ways to train their brains to be optimistic by speaking positively. For example, when discussing a challenging task or student, lead with a positive comment before offering any constructive criticism or corrective suggestions.
Develop a Wellness Committee with Proactive Programs.
There’s no better time than now to drive home the points of health and wellness! Market your wellness activities to your school community and administrators, discuss the benefits, and share examples and research about why this needs to become a weekly trend to encourage your employees to be committed to staying well throughout the entire school year. Check out the book, THE ENERGY BUS: 10 RULES TO FUEL YOUR LIFE, WORK, AND TEAM WITH POSITIVE ENERGY, by Jon Gordon. This is a great text to share with your colleagues, administrators, and families. A quick read to a positive work environment.
Buy a Plant (or two).
Whether you buy a plant for your own classroom or give one to individual colleagues, staff or administrators in your school building, certain plants are thought to create clean air for a healthier work environment and help students develop accountability for caring for something in their classroom environment.
Maintain Normal as Best as Possible.
Everyone is talking about the “new normal.” That looks different classroom-to-classroom and school-to-school, but there are opportunities to slip back into favored instructional practices, old activities, and classroom habits. Keep schedules at the same time as before; pull the various stations or centers activities for learning out of the closet, enjoy a quarterly socially-distanced gathering, or just take the time to have one-on-one chats with colleagues and students. Routine, structure, and normalcy are good.
Be Inclusive.
Above all, be inclusive in your professional and healthy work environment! This can keep teams working together effectively and help individual educators be seen for their positivity around the school community. Inclusivity offers unique perspectives from everyone on your staff and gives all voices on the team the ability to be heard and respected.