work life balance

Teacher Self-Care: Saying Yes to Saying No

Teacher Self-Care:  Saying Yes to Saying No

Self-care is what keeps us feeling good, both mentally and physically.  When you feel both physically healthy and mentally strong, you are able function at a level that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.   I’ve written before about why self-care and self-advocacy are not selfish.  It allows you to effectively and resiliently support all the people in your life who are counting on you. 

How, then, do we introduce more self-advocacy and self-care into our busy everyday lives when we’re so often focused on everyone else?

An Unexpected Affair With Passion

An Unexpected Affair With Passion

I’m having an affair.

It is, as they say, complicated.  It’s not an affair in the typical sense, but it feels like I imagine an affair would feel:  excitement, longing, and validation, coupled with denial, secrecy, and fear.

Learn the Power of Saying NO

Learn the Power of Saying NO

The path to simplicity begins with a refusal of the nonessential and unproductive.

It's been several decades since Americans were first introduced to the idea that they should "Just say no." While the context of this was originally about saying no to drugs, I believe this recommendation has even greater potential for those of us looking to simplify our lives in one way or another. In my ongoing effort to simplify my life, I have found that there are two general categories to which I offer a steadfast and gracious "no" when I can: nonessential external demands and unproductive internal beliefs.

It is important to emphasize that saying no is not negative or selfish or uncaring. Instead, saying no to one thing is equivalent to saying yes to what is more important to you.

What Form of Radical Self Care Do YOU Need?

What Form of Radical Self Care Do YOU Need?

I've recently noticed a particular hashtag coming up more and more on my social media feeds: #radicalselfcare. Typically, there is a picture of someone cheerfully cooking a healthy meal, or the inviting-looking pool in which a person is about to swim some laps. This idea of boldly and aggressively taking action to care for oneself and prioritize wellness seems to be gathering momentum, and I am a wholehearted proponent of it.

Everyone is different, however, and what constitutes self-care for one person may not be the same for another.