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What are you doing to take care of yourself after coming back from a break and recovery period?

Shauna Aningo

This is not a New Year’s resolution. This is about survival. Thriving, even!

I’ll be real: I hit burnout hard this semester. It got me thinking: How can I be kinder to myself? How can I create tools to support and keep me in a good space to thrive? Perhaps a dopamine menu—a little list of joys that recharge my teacher soul?

Here are some ideas I’m toying with:

  • A "mini wins" journal: Celebrate the small stuff (like getting through a meeting without zoning out).
  • 5-minute dopamine hits: Tea break? A walk outside? Scroll YouTube guilt-free?
  • Actually using my prep period or lunch for ME once in a while. Revolutionary, right?
  • Setting boundaries: Just because an email comes at 8 PM doesn’t mean it needs an 8:05 reply.

What’s on your dopamine menu? How do YOU keep burnout at bay and refill your cup?

Let’s make self-care a habit, not a resolution we will forget.

Here are some additional ideas: www.edutopia.org/.../7-self-care-strategies-teachers

Parents

  • Like the idea of "self-care habit, not resolution we will forget."  It's like healthy living as opposed to dieting (which often have a start date and a finish date). 

    For me, making lists on paper (not digital) has helped me prevent burnout.  There's just something satisfying about crossing items off the list that gets me through the amount of work I have.  Even if I don't cross everything off, at least I know I achieved some of what I was going for and just add whatever it is to tomorrow's list.  

  • in reply to Todd Nussen

    You're absolutely right! I recently picked up a cute notebook to help me keep lists and do more frequent brain dumps. I love the idea of visually tracking what I've accomplished—it’s so satisfying. I’m going to make an effort to use this method more consistently.

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  • in reply to Todd Nussen

    You're absolutely right! I recently picked up a cute notebook to help me keep lists and do more frequent brain dumps. I love the idea of visually tracking what I've accomplished—it’s so satisfying. I’m going to make an effort to use this method more consistently.

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