Before heading out on vacation, shutting out all memories of the past school year, and moving forward to the next phase of the calendar, take some time to savor the good of what this last school year brought.
It’s always easier to focus on the things that didn’t go our way and the items we let slip through the cracks. However by only illuminating those things, we do ourselves a huge disservice. We are often our biggest critics and others may not know that we need a little positive reinforcement…so if we aren’t our own biggest cheering squads, who will be?
It’s not often that we reflect on the positive. It’s not often that we take a moment to pause about all those things that went well…that we did “right” but why not try something different…right now.
So take some time before moving on to the next activity or getting started with all the summer excitement, to savor the good and what you did for the students whose lives you touched this entire year.
Set your timer for a few minutes and be still, recounting your own personal highlight reel: really visualize the different students you worked with, the relationships you built, the compassion you gave.
And if you can’t resist, visualize a few things you would like to do differently. How would you like the next year to be different? Write this down now, before you get too far removed from the moment. Try not to use this as a time for blame and shame, but rather, how could you do this differently next time? Look at these as items as places to learn and gather information.
For a more formal savoring practice, try writing this reflection down, keeping it somewhere safe and pulling it out in a few months when you begin your planning in August. This savoring may serve as a great reminder of how you giving of your gifts and talents can impact others.
Enjoy savoring these moments of a job well done and a year well spent. Now after you’re done with this exercise, get back to packing for that vacation, relaxing at the pool or doing anything else that you do during your break. And savor the good in all of those moments too! You deserve it.
If you have any experiences you would like to share about savoring the good, please head on over to our We are Teaching Well Facebook Group and introduce yourself.
If you want some extra support in creating a more formal self-care routine this summer, check out Teaching Well’s FREE COURSE 4 Simple Self-Care Solutions in Only Five Minutes a Day!
