By Lynne Herr
\nNETA Board member and lifetime over-committer<\/p>\n
Anyone else surprised to look at the calendar to discover IT\u2019S ALREADY AUGUST when it feels like it was just yesterday when you walked out of school with the WHOLE SUMMER in front of you?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re like many educators, you have lots of mixed feelings about August: that in-between time when you reluctantly say good-bye to the end of long sunshine-filled days that let you use the bathroom at a whim and have a long, leisurely lunch on a patio with a friend. Time for vacation and stay-cation; bike rides and beaches. But your teacher heart also starts to swell with the anticipation of the shiny new crop of kiddos that will soon be lined up at your classroom door sporting fresh new haircuts and backpacks full of potential. Kids you will spend the next year nurturing to the next rung on the ladder to adulthood, while they leave you with a few more gray hairs and a proud smile.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not too late! There\u2019s still time for YOU! And there will always be time for you if you choose to prioritize it.<\/p>\n
Oh, I know . . .you have the carpool, and piano lessons and meal prep and laundry and fall sports meetings and professional development and you still didn\u2019t get to that closet that you swore you\u2019d finally get organized this summer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s ok.<\/p>\n
Take the advice you\u2019d give a friend – if you can\u2019t find time each day to take care of yourself, you need to re-evaluate. You and your family and friends deserve a healthy, happy you.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t take good care of yourself, burnout is barreling toward you like a runaway train. Burnout is a serious problem for educators. Psychology Today defines burnout as \u201cchronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.\u201d Sound familiar?<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s start with something that\u2019s actually doable. Have you had time to check your Facebook feed today? Watch mindless TV? Peruse Pinterest? Then you have time. You just have to change how you use it. Take a few minutes for yourself each day to do something to quiet your mind and fill your soul. Some ideas:<\/p>\n
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is becoming an important curriculum in our schools.\u00a0 Modeling these healthy behaviors to your students, and being transparent with them about your efforts, is so powerful.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This year, the Nebraska Association for the Gifted (NAG) has partnered with teacher Den\u00e9 Erin Oglesby form Thornwood Yoga to offer free full-day or half-day workshops for HAL teachers and their students. <\/span>Visit the Thornwood Yoga site to learn more<\/span><\/a> and schedule your workshop.<\/span><\/p>\n Self-Care Mindfulness Apps for Teachers and Students<\/b><\/p>\n Calm – meditation and sleep<\/b><\/p>\n Stop, Breathe, Think – <\/b>Ranging from guided mindfulness audio tracks, to videos on yoga and acupressure, and animated mindful games, you will have many options at your \ufb01ngertips<\/span><\/p>\n\n