Note: I wrote this when we were advised to wash our hands, not to shut down major institutions and practice social distancing. Much has changed in recent days … but in the midst of it we need self-care more than ever. Be well, friends.
So….I might have mentioned that I’m prep’ing a few workshops this spring (once, or twice). The one I might need to take myself is on balance and self care (see, adding multiple workshops to multiple jobs; see also an email from the conference coordinator, when I sent in my third proposal: “That IS ambitious”)
I’m not so great at not taking on all the things. (#overachiever) But, I am so much better about boundaries and making good use of my time and strategically recharging than I was when I was younger.
And yet, there are those people who radiate zen, that seem perfectly suited to a self care workshop. I’m not them.
I am a much more tightly wound and occasionally cranky self-care facilitator.
I like to think this helps me know where the tightly wound and occasionally cranky people who sign up for a self care workshop are coming from.
But also, I think we/the world need a wider and maybe more tightly wound and cranky definition of self care.
I am of the ‘self care is a life you don’t want to escape from’ school of self-care thought. And, in a field that asks so much of people, for so little, ‘a job you don’t want to escape from’ . It’s radical, but I believe we ought to be able to do meaningful, mission-driven work, at a high level, without burning out by 2pm every Thursday.
And, as much as I admire the glowing zen folks, I need some of my overachiever energy for this version of self care.
I want to propose a three-pronged approach to self care for educators (is it to over achiever-y to have a 3 pronged approach to self care? Probably, but, I’m going with it. Sometimes self care is embracing your over achiever self, right?)
Anyways, prongs:
- Boosting the positives
- Managing the challenges
- Managing and maintaining energy
Boosting the positives:
Fighting back against negativity bias. Tapping into the parts of this work we love. Negotiating and job crafting and creative brainstorming our way into spending more of our time on the things that fill us. Schedule sending myself student notes.
Managing the challenges:
Acknowledging that some of this is structural. And it’s unjust and bigger than us. Taking action if it helps. Having a ‘lets talk about priorities’ conversation, saying no, and also, fixing the things we can so there’s a little less stress and struggle in our days. Repeating the serenity prayer (whatever your religious and/or substance use background).
Managing and maintaining energy:
Taking care of ourselves: good meals, breaks, not spending too many hours in a row hunched over a computer screen. (Because Maslow is not wrong) Keeping some space between work and life. Doing the things that refuel us.
Three prongs, all the questions. Self care takes some doing.
If you need more guidance, download my free reflection and planner.
Or, MA adult ed folks …
… This post was inspired by a workshop I planned for the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education Network Conference in April.
NETWORK has been cancelled for public health reasons. I respect the decision, wish everyone good health… and am going to be offering a digital version.
Here’s the workshop description: “Teaching is meaningful, important, rewarding… and hard. If we are to do our best work and sustain our efforts, we must find ways to manage the hard parts, amplify the positives and maintain our energy. ”
