Just as with anything, summer can show up in all kinds of ways for us as educators. Even though we’re in this space where we seemingly have more time because we’re not in school doing the work of actively teaching all day long, summer can still sometimes be challenging to navigate, right?
Do you ever feel like you’re struggling in the summer because you feel like maybe you can’t put everything down?
You feel like you need to be productive and feel like… oh, I need to attend to all the things that I didn’t get to during the school year.
That feeling of go-go-go often keeps us from getting the rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation that we really do need to recharge for the next school year.
And it can be tough to let go of work, and to let go of the previous school year at times. This can be especially true if there were big challenges for you in the last school year, or if you’re unraveling any kind of negative patterns that you might have observed in yourself. Perhaps it’s something else.
Finding balance for ourselves as educators is going to look different for all of us.
We all have different things on our plates during the summer.
I’m here to encourage you to find what works for you… so that you can really enjoy the remaining days of your summer and find joy, plus ways to rest and recharge.
Here’s an example:
I’m in grad classes, and while that’s been a lot of work and feels challenging and stressful at times, it’s also really filling me up because it’s motivating and energizing me. I’m excited about what I’m learning, and how I’ll bring that into what I’m doing as an educator and even what I’m sharing with all of you here.
Find those moments of joy. Those moments to reframe.
Even with all the things on our to-do lists, I also want to encourage you to find time simply for fun and for rest. That has been tough for me this year, because there are a lot of things on my plate.
But… I do intend to find some time to rest and rejuvenate and plan activities that are simply for me that are not work related in any type of way. That “work” includes my household tasks, my role as a caregiver for an aging parent, and my role as a graduate student.
I’d love to hear how summer is going for you and what strategies you’re using to make sure that you can move forward into the new school year feeling recharged, rejuvenated, and well rested. What are your fun summer plans? (leave me a comment below or email me at amy@balanceforeducators.com and let me know!)
I’ll continue to share with you here and on Instagram / Facebook my toolkit of strategies so that we are all well-equipped when the new school year begins… so that we can live our best lives, in our classrooms and beyond.
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