Self-Care Approaches for Educators and Leaders

For years, I thought self-care was a hobby, something that you did for yourself last. I envisioned self-care as a “nice to acquire collectible” that you wanted to have, but once you obtained it, you had no idea what to do with it or the purpose of it. So by default, you just pushed the item aside and allowed your collectible to accumulate dust bunnies idly on the shelf.

Sometimes we can all feel like a gathering of dusty collectibles. We can get some dirt on us, and feel unrefined. But, if we look deeper, at the heart of who we are lies talented, passionate, and loving people that deserve the same self-love and care for ourselves as we give others.

I have learned through experience that self-care is not just something you do once you are already burnt out. . . It does not work that way.

On that same note, I discovered we must be advocates for our own mental and physical health. It is hard to shine for yourself and others if your light is dim. Therefore, we must turn self-care into something that is a focal point in our lives as much as possible, rather than being an afterthought. Self-care is the fuel and we are the lantern. How are we lighting our fire from within?

Daily Habits

As we are aware, self-care will not emerge into a daily habit if we only allow ourselves to engage in the practice during summer breaks, the weekends, or vacation. What you focus on, grows. With that said, if self-care is something you do not think of, your self-care practices will stay stagnant or decline altogether. We are deserving of embedding self-care into our regular routines because we are fountains of hope for others whom also deserves to be fountains of hope for ourselves, too.

We are worth embedding self-care into our regular routines because we are fountains of hope for others whom also deserves to be fountains of hope for ourselves. Share on X

As educators, it is the perfect storm for a self-care scarcity: We serve everyone else- Students, staff, the community we serve and our own families– and let our personal needs, passions, and health take a downward turn as a result. It becomes cyclical. The longer we put ourselves last, the longer it takes to break out of that system of thought.

Serving others is a beautiful thing, but being able to advocate for yourself is also just as beautiful. We can serve others better if we do so from a full cup ourselves first. As the graphic design that I created above expresses, we need to get more comfortable with setting healthy boundaries while establishing our own limits. Throughout that process, we also need to be very realistic with ourselves during the reflection process so we can refine our daily habits in order to grow into the person we want to come. On that note, I learned that as a servant’s heart, I also need to ask other people for help for me, too. Establishing a support system of people who are there and care for me, helps me to continually evolve in my self-care practice.

Keep reading below to learn about some of my favorite self-care habits, articles, apps, and quotables.

Favorite Self-Care Habits

What are your favorite routines to practice putting yourself first?

Essential Oils: My favorites are lavender, geranium, orange, peppermint and lime. I also love combining oils to make my personal blends and using my essential oil diffusers while I am at work and at home.
Reading: I am currently reading is Mastering Mindfulness by Kim Davies
Journaling: I love journals and notebooks. I am almost a collector of sorts. I keep my journals everywhere- At home and at work. When I feel energized, or just need to get my thoughts to paper, if I take a few minutes to journal and write, it helps clear my mind in the healthiest way.
Strength training: I am very passionate about building strength; I train and power lift at least 3 times a week. Training helps me get stronger over time while gaining muscle and true confidence. During each training session, I can see my progress from point A, to point B, C, and beyond. It is amazing to see myself grow in ways I have never seen before. Each time I put a barbell on my back, I see how strong minds help facilitate strong bodies. When I persevere and am able to get through mental blocks while training, I feel more equipped to handle anything else that may come my way in the subsequent days and weeks. For instance, this past week I broke my personal record of deadlifting 200 pounds and now I feel on top of the world!

My Go-To Phone App

Simple Habit: Practice mindfulness and meditation strategies to rest better, improve focus, and to find your calm in 5 minutes or less. There are various meditation audio clips that you can listen to based on what your goal for meditation is. For example, there is a community of resources to listen to awaken you if you are feeling exhausted, to help calm you when you are tossing and turning in bed at night, and clip to motivate you when you need it the most. Available on Apple and Android