Cultivating Courage and Resilience Through Self-Care
/“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
One major challenge in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) times is managing the adrenaline rush that results from a threat or trigger of stress. This evolutionary response to stress is extremely useful, even life-saving, when humans face danger. However, our stress response is not adapted to address the immense, prolonged stress and trauma we are all experiencing right now. If we are not proactive in responding to a trigger of stress, adrenaline gets poured into the body, produces anxiety and we are unable to access our clear thinking.
It is nearly impossible to be fully present and empathetic when we are anxious. Fear and anxiety can prohibit us from accessing our courage, fortitude, and resilience in moments when we need it most–but it doesn’t have to.
Given the extraordinary demands on teachers (always, but especially right now), leaders cannot expect educators to find the time to take care of themselves. In fact, leaders likely aren’t making time for their own self-care, either. There’s too much to do! We’re programmed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, but if we don’t integrate practices of radical self-care, then we are hindering our ability to meet that goal.
Given the extraordinary demands on teachers (always, but especially right now), leaders cannot expect educators to find the time to take care of themselves. In fact, leaders likely aren’t making time for their own self-care, either. There’s too much to do! We’re programmed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, but if we don’t integrate practices of radical self-care, then we are hindering our ability to meet that goal.
Leaders need to weave self-care into the fabric of their everyday practices for them to have a lasting impact. There are lots of things you can do with your team in short bursts. Here are some examples:
Model taking phone meetings while on a walk, or suggest taking one-on-one meetings outside when there isn’t a need to take notes.
Prioritize five mindful minutes at the start of staff meetings:
– Take deep belly breaths, noticing changes in heart rate.
– Stand up and stretch. Establish your presence in your body to release stress.
– Share a joke to shift the collective energy from a reactive state and into laughter.
Invite teachers to share their favorite self-care practices (cooking, hiking, setting boundaries, sleeping, spending time with family), providing space for others to really celebrate and support their colleagues (clap, cheer, give feedback). Do this on a consistent and regular basis.
These mini exercises are not intended to downplay the trauma and stress. Instead, we can use them to ease anxiety and cope with the long-term stressors that we are not evolutionarily built to address. In addition, it’s important to provide spaces for folks to share their honest feelings and experiences so they can feel supported to do their best thinking.
This year is not just about what leaders can do for their staff or what teachers can do for students— it’s about what we can all do for ourselves. By fostering work environments that are emotionally safe, satisfying, and joyful for adults, leaders in turn cultivate a positive school climate that can effectively meet the academic and social-emotional needs of students.
