Prioritizing Self-Care

By Dilyn Henry | Licensed Mental Health Counselor for Schools—Florida Conference

 As a leader, you have probably figured out how to manage your workload by delegating, collaborating, or seeking support. These are effective tools for projects and assignments, but what about our well-being? Oftentimes, our well-being is not at the top of the list. Prioritizing our self-care may be easier said than done. How often do you disconnect and focus on the things you enjoy? Yet, you may wonder, “How can I find time for a quiet moment in the morning?” “How can I go to that spin class in the evening?” The good news is that self-care does not have to take up much of your time. Then what is self-care? Self-care is doing things to take care of your well-being. It can improve your leadership skills and prevent burnout so you can perform better professionally.

Some people hear the term self-care and believe it only relates to yoga, bubble baths, or the spa. These are effective tools, but they are not the only ones. There are several self-care strategies that both men and women can benefit from, and here are a few listed below:

Taking Care of Me!

By Murray Cooper | Education Director—Southern Union Conference

Let’s focus on some additional ideas to ensure you care for yourself. Since the pandemic, finding substitute teachers, let alone substitute administrators, has been challenging. Still, one of the ways you can take care of yourself is to have someone you trust to cover your classroom if you are a teaching principal or working with your administration team that has your back if you are in a larger school.

There are two options to remind you of your available personal days and sick days per your conference and union code. First, no honor badges are coming to you if you don’t use your personal days. In my experience, those days, used with care, can provide you a chance to catch your breath as a school leader. If you are sick, instead of trying to push through an illness, take your sick days, get better, and return to school once you are able. We are great at telling parents to keep their kids home if they are ill—we need to practice what we preach!

Another way to take care of yourself is to take advantage of several items in our health care plan. Over the years, I’ve used the massage visits, which greatly help reduce the stress in my back and shoulders. Of course, this would apply to other treatment options, such as getting chiropractic help. In addition, make sure to get an annual physical, dental cleaning, and eye exam to spot any potential health conditions early before a serious health challenge arises. But, again, skipping out on doing these doctor visits is not taking care of yourself.

When I conducted principal coaching and training, I tried to convey to people that in the role of principal, and even more so if you are a teaching principal, is that no matter the long hours you put in, you can never catch up entirely. You must learn to be good with that—this doesn’t mean you don’t try to keep caught up, but that you permit yourself to not be at the school 24/7. Set your schedule such that at least one or two days per week, you give yourself a firm deadline to leave the school building by 5:00 PM. Setting up an early release at least one day per week helps you to do other essential items that pertain to your family or home.

Finally, my colleagues have mentioned enjoying the Sabbath rest—I concur wholeheartedly. I also encourage you to limit your focus on school on the weekends. Give yourself permission not to work Saturday night so you can be with your family and friends. Likewise, on Sundays, set a time boundary, so you don’t spend all day on school-related items. Sometimes, it is unavoidable to be doing things Saturday night and Sunday. Still, if that is your normal way of operating, you are dealing with a work week that never ends, and ultimately that is not taking care of yourself.