Finding Gratitude in Grief

Finding Gratitude in Grief

My first attempt at writing this post about gratitude took the form of a “how-to” type of article. I included the reasons why cultivating gratitude is beneficial. I wrote about how I try to incorporate it into my day both formally and informally. It was coming along just fine.

As I look back over the original draft, however, I realize that the tone doesn’t really align with what I’m feeling when it comes to gratitude this month. Much of the gratitude I’m experiencing right now stems from feelings of loss and grief.

I’ll try not to go too far down the rabbit hole here, and I promise there is a point to all this. Let me explain.

The Self Compassion of Honoring What You Need

The Self Compassion of Honoring What You Need

When we think about self-compassion, it is often associated with the ideas of being kind to oneself and letting go of our inner critic.  These are unquestionably important elements, but not really related to the insight I recently had. 

The form of self-compassion that I’m thinking about is when we listen to our hearts and honor what we need, even if this is different from what we think we want.

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?

Self-Care is NOT Selfish

Self-Care is NOT Selfish

As caregivers, teachers are hard-wired to put others first. I’m not going to try to convince you to put yourself first. What I am going to do is explain why prioritizing your self-care is not about you, but is actually about being of benefit to others.