Hello teachers, educators, superheroes. Maggie here from Mindful Classroom. Today I’m sharing three movements to help you manage your stress, become more present, and take a well-deserved moment for yourself during your day in the classroom.
Watch the vlog or read on below!
As a teacher, you are a master multi-tasker and wizard of time-management but sometimes those superpowers don’t carry over into your personal life as easily as they do in the classroom.
Between balancing in-person and virtual learners, scheduling meetings with parents, adhering to new school regulations, and everything else, it’s hard to find time in the day to dedicate to self-care.
But you deserve your attention too.
I would even argue that the days when your to-do list feels the longest, are when it’s most important to set aside time to take care of your mental wellbeing.
Why do flight attendants urge us to put our own oxygen masks on first? Because we can’t show up for others unless we take care of ourselves first.
So, before you head out the door today, don’t forget to grab your metaphorical oxygen mask and take a deep breath.
Gift yourself 3-5 dedicated minutes of me-time during recess, right before school starts, during lunch, or right before you leave work for the day!
Try these three easy movements designed to help you to pause and reset without needing to worry that you’ll get weird looks from students or coworkers.
No seated meditation pose necessary.
#1 - Shake Off
Watch how I shake it off (3:50)
The first movement is just to shake off the day, ala Taylor Swift.
This kind of goofy wiggle is a fantastic tool to reorganize your energy and let go of any tension that you are holding in your body.
How to shake it off:
Standing up, move your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart and bend your knees.
Start to shake your arms, kind of like a dog when it comes out of the water. This is just going to help you to shake off anything negative you want to let go of from your day.
After about a minute of shaking off, soften your knees and start to sway side to side from your center. Shift side to side, not putting your arms anywhere specific, but just letting them move in reaction to your swing, gradually smaller and smaller until you're nice, soft, and centered.
#2 - Lean In
Watch how I lean in (4:30)
The second thing you can do to tune in is a practice known as “leaning into yourself.” You can practice from almost any position: standing, sitting on the floor, or even sitting at your desk!
How to lean in:
To begin to lean into yourself, think about leaning a pointy part of your body into a soft part, like bending your elbow so it pushes into your thigh.
As you’re leaning, pause there for a moment or two and let your whole body soften. You are signaling to your mind to relax for a moment and it will trigger the relaxation response in your brain so the whole nervous system calms down.
#3 - Breathe (5:30)
Click to watch a demo (5:30)
The third mindful practice is a simple breathing exercise. It may seem insignificant, but your breath is a powerful tool.
Mindful breathing can help you recharge as well as center yourself, lower stress levels, and be more present.
How to breathe:
Think of bringing your hands to your center to plug-in. The same way you plug in your computer, you bring your hands together to recharge yourself. Let your hands come in towards your belly where you can feel your heartbeat.
Breathe in through your nose fully and feel your diaphragm expand.
Hold the breath for three seconds, and exhale through your mouth.
Repeat as many times as needed.
If you can take 3-5 minutes in your day to do all 3 of these practices together, it's almost like shaking up a snow globe and then granting yourself a moment of stillness as the snowflakes settle around you.
By practicing more mindfulness, you will become more aware of how you feel in your body throughout the day; for example, when and where you’re holding tension or feeling stress.
When you notice what's going on in your body and become more connected to yourself, it gives you more control over your mental state and creates a positive energy that radiates to those around you.
Kids are incredible at picking up on surrounding energy and mimicking it.
It’s my sincerest hope that these movements help you to create space for yourself to feel and move better, and that that translates to a more positive and mindful classroom as well.
As an educator, you deserve it.
For more exercises and mindfulness practices made just for teachers, log in to your Mindful Classroom account and head over to the Grown-Ups Corner.
Not a member yet? Sign up for $12/mo or contact us to talk about how we can bring Mindful Classroom to your school.
Be well,
Maggie
