Teacher Self Care Ideas

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the life of a teacher got that much harder. Before 2019, a teacher’s life was hard enough trying to juggle students, their parents, administration, colleagues, state testing, and keeping up with the latest teaching trends that there was little room for personal life… unless the teacher made sure to save room for a life outside of the classroom.

Then March 2020 ushered in something no one could have EVER anticipated…

It was as if the evil teaching devils tried to devise a way to make a teacher’s life even more insane…

This is why now, more than ever, it is vitally important that teachers everywhere take time to indulge in self-care.

Self-care is different for everyone. Whether you are an athlete, mom to humans or furbabies, a bookworm, or a restaurant enthusiast, below will give you five ideas to pamper and show the teacher in your life some love.

Five Self Care Ideas for Teachers:

For the Bookworm:

One positive from being on lockdown this past spring was that I found my Kindle as I started cleaning up around my house. I was excited to dust it off and start reading again. I was even more stoked when I found the Live-brary site. Live-brary allows you to download books for FREE by using your library card for those of you who may not know. Simply sign up, and you can search for nearly any book. While some books may have a waitlist, this app is so cool and will save you tons of money.

Once school started in September, I decided to keep up with my reading habits. An hour before bedtime, I put down my phone, take out my Kindle, and spend the time reading. I won’t lie, it is sometimes REALLY hard to put down that phone, but I noticed that my sleeping habits have improved. According to my Fitbit, I am sleeping a lot deeper and for a longer amount of time.

For the Athlete:

I would not really consider myself an athlete; however, I do care about my body, and as I get older, I want it to be in good shape to support me in my golden years. One app that I absolutely LOVE is the Peloton app. Yes, you can use this for spin class, but the app, which is about $19/ month, has so much more! Whether you are into strength training, yoga, cardio, running, or even just walking, there are so many great classes on-demand or live that you can take! If you decide to sign up, connect with me at SamsonsShoppe!

For the One on the Run:

I hate cleaning. According to my husband, I am also not very good at it. So for my birthday, I saved up my gift cards and splurged on a Roomba. Oh. My. Goodness. I am kicking myself for waiting so gosh darn long! The Roomba is absolutely amazing. I have it scheduled to go around the house each morning while I am working, and honestly, there is nothing better than coming home to beautiful lines on the carpet. If you are like me and loathe any type of cleaning, this is one way to take care of yourself!

For the One with a Cluttered Mind:

Have you tried Headspace? A few years ago, anxiety completely took over my life. One of the strategies I was told to try was Headspace. There is a free and a paid subscription, but you do NOT need to pay for this, honestly. There are so many different programs within the app that can help you with meditation, mindfulness, and a night of deeper sleep. I found that taking a few minutes a day helped me relieve some of the stress and anxiety from life.

For the One who NEVER Takes a Moment:

It is important to remember that self-care is different for everyone. Some of the ideas above are great, but they may not totally fit the bill for others. You need to make sure that you choose something that will either make your life easier or happier. For me, the choices above fill either one or both categories, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other things. Below, I will list a few more ideas of things that a teacher – or anyone – can do to help take care of themselves. Some of the suggestions may take a few minutes, but others might be longer. I hope you use this list of ideas to choose which one is best for you and remember that you are important and you need to take time for yourself!

More ideas for self-care:

  • Walk your dog around the block
  • Get your car washed (it feels so good to get into a clean vehicle)
  • Mani-Pedi time!
  • Back massage
  • Dinner at your favorite restaurant
  • A phone call to a friend
  • Lunch with your mom
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Window shopping in town
  • Cooking a meal
  • Listening to a podcast
  • Playing a board game
  • Looking at old pictures
  • Organizing a room
Which is your favorite activity? Let me know below so I can add it to my list!

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