Keep Calm & Carry On (Summer of Self Discovery, Part 9)

Megan's Summer of Self Discovery/Self Awareness, Part 9: Coping

So here's the deal: I've set goals for my summer. I want to in better touch with myself, more aware of myself, and take care of myself. To do this, I am going to be spending a lot of time thinking and writing my way through lots of self-realizations about all the aspects that make me, well, me: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relationships, career. What I'm learning is that I am going to need some coping skills for when things get tough, so that's what this post is all about.

The posts sometimes run together in my mind, but I think I remember mentioning in a previous post about going to a session at my school district's summer conference about dealing with stress and teacher burnout. I chose that session largely because, to be brutally honest, I was d-o-n-e DONE by May. I was so done, in fact, that I walked out on that last day with messes everywhere (in my room, in my desk, literally anywhere there could be a mess) and I just didn't care because I wanted to leave. I know that all teachers get excited about summer break and I always have in the past as well...but this May was something entirely different and let's just leave it at that because I don't feel like going into all the details with this post.

Anyway, I walked away from the session feeling a little crazy because the presenter jumped around a bit, but I also left with some ideas...ideas on how I am going to make this year better for me and therefore better for my students. Some of the ideas are daily things I am going to do or be mindful of throughout the day, some of them are more physical things I did already and now have to reference, some are just mindset things. I'm going to share the list (and a couple pictures) just in case it might help someone else who is dealing with similar feelings.

Megan's Ways to Make 2017-2018 School Year Better for Mental Health:

1. "Happy Wall": So, one of the suggested things in the session was to have pictures of things or people that make you happy in your room so that you can look at them when you start to feel sad or stressed. Well, I went big and made a wall near my teacher desk with all things "happy": there's artwork and photos of nature, there's pictures of my favorite people, and there's inspirational quotes. I will probably add to the wall some more as the year goes on, but I'm happy with the start! I also went a step further and added some space near my computer (completely different area) to hang a few more pictures and lots of fun student made cards and artwork.

   

   "Happy Wall"

   

   "Artwork Display"

   
   
2. Walking Daily: A dear and wonderful friend and I have agreed that we are going to walk every afternoon. Exercise is good for the body & mind, and friendship is so very good for my soul. This friend and I are going to push each other and work together to both stay sane...and this is a GREAT thing for us both!
   
3. Meditation & Breathing Exercises: The presenter had a great breathing activity he suggested for when you start to get stressed or angry, which is pretty much every few minutes for me! Someone in a band directors forum I'm in also suggested meditation. So, I'm going to have a morning and afternoon meditation time as well as remember the breathing activity for the in between. I think having things in place that force me to turn off my mind for a few minutes and just relax will really help. I get VERY caught up inside the trap of my brain!
   
4. "Zen Frog": I have another dear and wonderful friend who we've started jokingly referring to as my "zen frog." While that may be silly, this friend seriously is always the person I go to when I need to feel calm. She can listen, she can talk me through things, she can console like no other. Bonus is that her classroom is in one of the most hidden places in the building! (Seriously, I cried in the floor in the hallway near her door for nearly 15 minutes the morning the miscarriage bleeding started and nobody found me until she & my other friend opened her door when they got to school. So, when the breathing and meditation don't work, I can always go see my "zen frog."
   
5. Daily Journal: Something else I've started (because my friends seriously suggest the best things) is keeping some daily notes and tallies of things in a journal. I'm hoping this not only helps me learn how to just release the day when it's over, but I'm also hoping to start to see if I can find any patterns or connections that will help me understand my brain and behaviors a little better...again, details that we will just leave at that.

   

   "Journal"
   
   
   

   Then, of course, there's this blog and a few other, more serious/personal things, but you get the idea. My goals and hopes with this school year are "Be More Organized" and "Keep Calm." Hopefully, with these things in place, I can figure out a better life balance and keep my head on so that I can be successful. If you have any other ideas, suggestions, or complaints, please share!