Self-care is for everyone! Yes, I’m looking at you, teachers! Teacher burnout is real and I came to the realization that I no longer wanted to live that way. I want to stay in education for the long haul and feel happy about it. This is why, after much trial and error, I created a toolkit to help you live your best life: Self Care Toolkit. This toolkit is filled with inspiration, ideas for self-care, and printable templates you can use to reach your goals and prioritize YOU. Not so you’re a better teacher or a better parent, just because YOU deserve to give yourself all the love and attention you so easily pour out onto others.
Self-Care is for Everyone
Yes, EVERYONE. I’m especially talking to the moms and teachers out there. It’s all a balancing act and it’s never going to be perfect. That’s step one, let go of perfection. Seriously. None of us are perfect and the sooner we realize that and are gentle with ourselves, the better. Throughout my journey, I’ve tried a multitude of tools and journals to help hold me accountable to my goals. I would write 5 goals down and “track” my progress over weeks or months, but I would get down on myself when I missed a workout here or a meditation there, because ahem, I’m not perfect. My goals started to feel like chores, instead of practices that I was enjoying. It was counterproductive.
The truth is, self-care can look different every day. Maybe some days it’s cooking dinner for yourself or your family and maybe other days it’s working out. There is no one way to live your life. Your goals should feed your soul daily and each day is unique in its own way, and therefore, your self-care is too. If you could imagine your future self, what would be your physical, mental and spiritual state? Once you’ve imagined that person, decide on small, achievable practices to get you there. Each morning, decide what you need TODAY to move you forward in living a life of purpose and gratitude.
This is also a great tool to use with your students. I only wish that these types of tools and ideas were introduced to me at a younger age. <3
Self-Care and Gratitude
I sit down and use these tools every morning, as part of my morning routine so that I start my day with a positive mindset. The self-care and gratitude tools are all-encompassing. It has space for you to be intentional about what self-care is going to look like for you that day, appreciate your loved ones, compliment yourself (yes, if you don’t do this already it will feel weird, but keep bragging about yourself to yourself because you ARE amazing), set your goals for the day, plan out your meals or track your water so you are accountable for drinking it!
Some prefer to do these practices at night, as they reflect on their day, and that works too. Reflecting and realizing you barely drank your water? Great, do better tomorrow. Made zero time for self-care? Great, do better tomorrow. This is not a tool for you to measure your worth based on how many boxes you can check off, so remember that.
Organization and Goal Setting
The organization and goal-setting tools are intended to help you sort out your day and prioritize what is going to yield the greatest outcome for your life. The tool I would implement first is the morning routine. If you have one already, you know how much of a game-changer it is. If you don’t, this is a perfect time to start because it WILL change your life. I changed my routine many times before finding one that works best for me. Don’t be hard on yourself if you go off the routine you set for yourself at first. You need to try on different routines to see which fits best. Skip things, move things around, be flexible and have grace on yourself. There is no right way to have a morning routine.
Mindset, Mindset, Mindset
Let’s face it. We all like to be in control. Finding a human who can truly, truly give up control over everything in life is rare. If you know this person, I’d like to meet them. It’s just how we are built. Feeling like we can control a situation helps us thrive and makes us feel safe. The problem is, that we think we have a lot more control than we actually do. These tools are here to help you distinguish between the two: What is in your control and what isn’t. What’s been keeping you up at night that you KNOW you can’t do anything about? What do you need to let go of in order to live a more stress-free life? What are the things you can actually control, that if given all the time and energy you spend on things you can’t control, would thrive?
I recently listened to a Rachel Hollis lesson that talked about joy. She talked about finding the little things in life that bring you joy and ensuring that those are scheduled throughout your day. Some examples of what brings me joy are candles and cute coffee mugs and so I drink my coffee out of an aesthetically pleasing mug in the mornings and light a candle at every night. You might think that’s insignificant, but that’s the point. If you’re mindful and have a grateful heart, you can find little pockets of joy all throughout your day. Cue, a much happier individual.
We All Need a Little Inspiration
Of course, I included 12 inspirational quotes in this toolkit. Sometimes, you just need a little reminder to keep going. You can print these out and put them up or spread them out in different places. I keep one in my planner, one in my desk, etc.. so that I’m randomly reading them throughout my day.
I hope this journal inspires you and supports positive practices for your life and gives you ideas for self-care and inspiration. Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below. I’d love to hear about your personal growth journey!!
Helpful products: Self Care is for Everyone: A Toolkit to Help You Live Your Best Life
