Challenge:
Why is it so hard to take care of ourselves? 

The best way to regulate students is to be regulated yourself, so why is it so hard to honor our hard work by taking care of ourselves and making us even better for our students.  Your goal is to manage your time to find a place to take better care of yourself.  
Task: 
​Complete the following: (1) Read the Cult of Pedagogy blog "Why is it so hard for teachers to take care of themselves"  (2) Analyzise your day.  Use that knowledge to find places for self-care.  (3)  Implement the changes for a minimum of 21 days while reflecting on your improved stamina as an educator.  (4) Share your findings with a colleage. 
Don't Forget about adding Collaboration 
Resources

Challenge:
Creating Healthy Habits 

The science of creating habits has developed into a specified process.  Your goal is to use this science to create habits that will keep you proactive in the practice of self-care.
Task: 
​Complete the following:  (1) Read the "Top tips for Stress Management and Self-Care."  Reflect on which of the characters in the article you relate most with.  (2)  Take the 4 Tendencies Quiz.  Reflect on which tendency you relate with the most.  (3)  Keeping in mind your results, use the "Making Habits Log" to create and track up to 4 habits.  

Don't Forget about adding Collaboration
Resources

Challenge:
Shake your groove thing: The Science Behind Happiness And Exercise

​Most of us are already familiar with the fact that exercising regularly keeps a healthy weight and improved cardiovascular health.  There is also the suggestion that physical activity may increase feelings of happiness.  Your goal is to find your "groove thing" for exercise and incorporate it into your classroom culture. 
Task: 
​Complete the following:  (1) Read the "The Science Behind Happiness and Exercise" and one of it's references listed at the end of the article.  (2) Create a journal and try out some different forms of exercise.  Log 5 different things you tried and how it effected your mood.  (3) Find ways to incorperate some of those different exercises into your teaching.  Be creative and monitor student response.  (4) Share your findings with a colleague. 
​
​Resources

Challenge:
Mindful Mintues 

Mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.  Being mindful of the people around you is vital but being mindful of yourself may be more so.  Your goal is make time for mindfulness.   
​Task: 
Complege the following:  (1)Check out options for mindfulness apps.  If none of them suit your needs, search for one that does.  (2) Choose an app to use for 30 days.  Make the time to do it every day and reflect on your feelings before and after each session.  (3) Share your findings with a colleague and encourage them to join you.  (4) Consider ways you could implement mindfulness in your classroom  
 
Don't Forget about adding Collaboration
​Resources

​Challenge:
Purpose: A Powerful Motivator for Habit Change.     

Finding purpose and building meaning for a healthier life.  The science is pointing to not only finding happiness but finding meaning helps us live a thriving purposeful life.  ​
Task: 
Science shows that identifying your purpose helps you to be healthier (mentally and physically) so the task is to 1. read the articles/watch the video below and then 2. attend a life coaching session for purpose finding focused on teacher self care, and 3. make an action plan to implement one habit change to build meaning into your life.  Then (as an optional part), check back in with the life coach or colleagues in a couple of weeks to reflect on the action plan.

NOTE: Life Coach Contact: Beth Cox Hollingsworth is a marketing professional by day and a certified life and wellness coach by night. She is passionate about helping others find their version of health and make meaningful steps toward achieving it. Her specialties are healing through storytelling, ketogenic/low-carb lifestyle changes and intentional living. Contact her at bethcoxhollingsworth@gmail.com or friend her on Facebook or LinkedIn by searching for Beth Cox Hollingsworth.
Action plan guide: Purpose: A Powerful Motivator for Habit Change
~Study after study shows that people who find deep, meaningful purpose have better capability to heal their bodies. Our group will participate in a number of exercises that act as starting point in developing clarity around the the following:
  • Discovering life purpose through review of childhood stories and answering meaningful questions.
  • Pinpointing a specific habit change that improves mind, body and/or spirit.
  • Answering your “why” about living healthy: Connect life purpose to a specific habit change for lasting, enduring
    health improvement.
Resources

Challenge:
Personalized PD for Self-Care
Purpose: Is there something you'd like to do for personalized PD for self-care?

Everyone has their own experiences that lead them to focusing on self-care. Many times a person just needs the permission to do so.
TASK:
​1)Reflect on your overall state of well-being. Make a Plus/Delta Chart to identify which parts of your well-being is going well and those of which need some attention. (Ex.: Mental heath and mindfulness, physical health and exercise, food intake, environment that supports positive well-being, etc).
2)Narrow your focus to an area of personal growth to set goals on.
3)Research different options/resources for support  and learning about strategies/ideas for supporting your goal. 
4)Implement strategies for at least 21 days.
5)Reflect on the benefits from your learning and implementation.

Possible Resources

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/stress-management-self-care.shtml

https://www.google.com/search?q=teacher+self+care+ideas&rlz=1CAACAO_enUS708US708&oq=teacher+self+care+ideas&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.11093j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#xxri=0

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/7-self-care-strategies-teachers

https://youtu.be/w0iVTQS8ftg