Topic of the Month

June/July 2025

Rest and Recharge

Teachers, we are very good at taking care of others but fail miserably at tending to our own needs. Teachers are so conditioned to put everyone else’s needs before our own that self-care can seem indulgent. Teachers must purposefully practice taking care of our physical, mental, emotional, and social health every day so we can thrive as individuals. The summer months provide not only a respite from our work responsibilities but concrete time to rest and recharge through mindful and purposeful self-care. 

Small doses of treasured or healthy activities will reduce stress, recenter ourselves, and improve our overall well-being. Self-care should be individualized, practiced purposefully every day, and in small doses across all health areas. Following a specific action plan will help create the habit of consistency, which will lead to permanent healthy changes.  Putting yourself first is necessary for your best self and the lazy summer days and evenings are the perfect time to start! To get you started, here are strategies organized as simple or ongoing for those activities that bring you contentment.

SIMPLE

• Never underestimate silence and solitude so you can listen to yourself.

• Take in nature

• Play background sounds—rainfall, waterfall, ocean waves, wind, or birds. • Play music.

• Get moving by walking, dancing, free weight exercises, wall pilates. 

• Switch out one unhealthy food for a healthier one

• Meditate

• Practice mindfulness.

 • Listen to your self-talk

 ONGOING

 • Start a new hobby or restart an old one. 

• Get involved with a volunteer organization.

 • Connect with friends and family

 • Journal your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and dreams. 

• Find a professional therapist if the stress of the job is too much for you to handle on your own.

Teachers thank you for bringing your passion, purpose, expertise, commitment and joy into your classrooms this year.

Take a bow!

Rest and recharge

See you here mid-August