Self Care

BRIEF SUMMARY

Self-care is asking yourself what you need and following through with that action.  Self-care is essential to our physical and emotional well-being.  Self-care helps us increase our capacity to impact others.  Self-care is different for each person.  Those in education especially need a self-care plan due to working with students who have experienced trauma.  Educators and counselors can suffer from compassion fatigue, also called secondary trauma or vicarious trauma.

KEY POINTS

• Self-care is essential to our physical and emotional well-being.
• Self-care is especially important to those in education due to working with students who have experienced trauma because they may be experiencing compassion fatigue.

RESOURCES

• Stress Reduction Cube: Use these free printables to create cubes to help you DOWN SHIFT (Blue Zones)
• 10 Ways to Reduce Stress (Cleveland Clinic)
• Nine Ways Mindfulness Helps with Stress
• Article:  “Compassion Fatigue:  The Thief in our Schools” by Cheri Brown Sizemore.  http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol11/1118-sizemore.aspx
• Article:  “Six Ways for Educators to Avoid Compassion Fatigue.”  https://lesley.edu/article/six-ways-for-educators-to-avoid-compassion-fatigue
• Article: “When Students Are Traumatized so Are Teachers” by Emilina Minero.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/when-students-are-traumatized-teachers-are-too
• Article:  “Self Care for Teachers of Traumatized Students” by Jennifer Gunn.  https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/self-care-for-teachers/
• Article:  10 Relaxing Yoga Poses to Prevent Teacher Burn-Out” by The Room 241 Team.  https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/lifestyle/calming-yoga-poses/
• Article:  “How Educators Can Unplug and How Stress Affects Us” by Jennifer Gunn.  https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/lifestyle/stress-relief-for-educators/
• Article:  “4 Ways for Frazzled Teachers to Fend off Stress and Burn-out” by Margaret Steen.  https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/lifestyle/teachers-stress-tips/
• Article:  “When Teachers Experience Empathetic Distress” by Rebecca Alber.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/when-teachers-experience-empathic-distress
• Article:  “Self Care for Teachers” by Anne Brunette.  https://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/CEAP-HS-BK_Self-CareForTeachers.pdf
• Article:  “What is Compassion Fatigue?” https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/compassion-fatigue
• Article:  “Teachers Supporting Teachers” by Allison Ricket.  https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teachers-supporting-teachers
• Article with links to resources to use:  “Toolkit for ‘I thought about Quitting Today….”  https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2015/toolkit-for-i-thought-about-quitting-today
• Article:  “The ABCs for STOP:  3 Short Mindful Breaks for your Day” by Christiane Wolfe.  https://www.mindful.org/abcs-stop-three-short-mindful-breaks-day/
• Article:  “Secondary Trauma for Educators:  Understanding and Mitigating the Effects” by Jessica Lander.  https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52281/secondary-traumatic-stress-for-educators-understanding-and-mitigating-the-effects
• Article:  “The Importance of Self Care for Administrators by Jessica Caben.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/importance-self-care-administrators
• Article:  “7 Reasons It’s Important to Switch off During School Holiday” by Kate Beddow.  https://www.calmerclassrooms.co.uk/7-reasons-important-relax-switch-off-school-holidays/
• Article:  “How to Switch off During School Holidays” by Kate Beddow.  https://www.calmerclassrooms.co.uk/switch-off-holidays/
• Article:  “A 5-Minute Gratitude Practice” by Elaine Smookler.  https://www.mindful.org/5-minute-gratitude-practice-focus-good-tapping-senses/?mc_cid=2623c426ef&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01
• Article:  “The Most Courageous Self Care Act:  Learning to Say ‘I Need Help'” by Shelly Tygielski.  https://www.mindful.org/the-most-courageous-self-care-act-learning-to-say-i-need-help/?mc_cid=3c3eb5c3b9&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01
• Article:  “Feeling Overwhelmed?  Remember RAIN'” by Tara Brach.  https://www.mindful.org/tara-brach-rain-mindfulness-practice/?mc_cid=3c3eb5c3b9&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01
• Article: “Why you Need a Self Care Plan” by Shelly Tygielski.  https://www.mindful.org/why-you-need-a-self-care-plan/?mc_cid=15944b815a&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01
• Article:  “6 Strategies for Finding your Calm” by Lori Desautles.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-strategies-finding-your-calm?fbclid=IwAR3-W_hK8jFpxXw0b-xZtwz9Bkd4kSxIVI-jCi09lJ0f995CZYCvUPZtdao
• Article:  “Simple Tips for Boosting Teacher Resilience” by Elena Aguilar.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/simple-tips-boosting-teacher-resilience?utm_source=Edutopia+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4ab871569e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_021319_enews_decodingtheteen&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f72e8cc8c4-4ab871569e-85099175
• Article:  “Can Mindfulness Help Stressed Teachers Stay in the Classroom?” by Chris Berdik.  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/can-mindfulness-help-stressed-teachers-stay-in-the-classroom
• Article:  “Teachers Need Peace Corners, Too” by Amelia Harper.  https://www.educationdive.com/news/teachers-need-peace-corners-too/551309/
• Article:  “Why Adults Need Social and Emotional Support, Too” by Matthew Portell.  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_social_emotional/2018/05/why_adults_need_social_and_emotional_support_too.html
• Video:  “Prioritizing Teacher Self Care”  https://www.edutopia.org/video/prioritizing-teacher-self-care
• Article:  “Madison Teachers Incorporating Mindfulness and Self Care to Instruction, See Positive Results” by Elizabeth Janeckzo.  https://madisoncommons.org/2019/04/25/madison-teachers-mmsd-mindfulness/
• Article:  “Are You a Chronic Complainer?  Here’s How Complaint Cleanse Can Help” by Julie Compton.  https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/are-you-chronic-complainer-here-s-how-complaint-cleanse-can-ncna994031
• Article:  “Ensuring that Teachers Don’t Run out of Steam” by Matthew Howell.  https://www.edutopia.org/article/ensuring-teachers-dont-run-out-gas?utm_source=Edutopia+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ddd6fc57ed-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_051519_enews_allowingtest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f72e8cc8c4-ddd6fc57ed-85099175
• Article:  “A Guide to Understanding and Coping with Compassion Fatigue” by Sam Keller:   https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/a-guide-to-understanding-and-coping-with-compassion-fatigue
• Article:  “Tips to Disaster Responders:  Understanding Compassion Fatigue” (SAMHSA)   https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4869.pdf
• Article:  “4 Fun Ways Principals Can Boost Teacher Self-Care” by Tracy Smith.  https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/05/02/principals-boost-teacher-self-care/?all
• Article:  “Why I Stay in Teaching” by Pete Barnes.   https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-i-stay-teaching?utm_source=Edutopia+Newsletter&utm_campaign=272f19c8a0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_061919_enews_usingrubikscubes&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f72e8cc8c4-272f19c8a0-85099175
• Article:  “6 Strategies for Finding your Calm” by Lori Desaultes.   https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-strategies-finding-your-calm
• Article:  “6 Ways to Just Say No to Stress” by Janelle Bruland.   http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2019/07/6-ways-to-just-say-no-to-stress.html
• Article:  “How to Use Breath to Strengthen your Mind” by Stephany Tlalka.   https://www.mindful.org/use-breath-strengthen-mind/?mc_cid=886b52fe53&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01
• Article:  “A One-Minute Grounding Mediation in Nature” by Cara Bradley.   https://www.mindful.org/1-minute-grounding-meditation/?mc_cid=886b52fe53&mc_eid=c57bf1ca01

SHARED WISDOM

• Teaching ties with the medical profession for high job stress.
• Second Step is piloting a teacher self-care program and it is FREE right now (September 2020): https://www.secondstep-sel-for-adults-resilience.org/

CONTENT FEEDBACK

If you have suggestions, feedback, or resources, please email counselor1stop@inspiresuccess.org and let us know.