Health Tips for Teachers, by Teachers

We all know it’s important to live a healthy, balanced life, but what does that actually look like day-to-day as a teacher? Since March is National Nutrition Month, we asked teacher college students and graduates to share health tips that work for them in and out of their classrooms.

Plan ahead

“Since many of us only have a few minutes to eat lunch, it is necessary to continue to fuel our bodies and minds. Try munching on small snack packs during class changes or when students are working in groups or independently. Also, sometimes we need to have an emergency cookie or chocolate because our day is just that crazy. In that case, grab a 100-calorie pack of cookies to curb the craving and still be nutritiously conscious.” – Felisha

“I’m getting into meal prepping. Cooking a lot of healthy stuff on the weekends and storing it in reasonably portioned containers. Then I just grab and go! It’s really been a lifesaver for me and I skip the fast food/junk food.” – April

Make nutrition a priority

“Being 73 percent water as humans we need roughly a gallon a day, yes, a gallon. Hydration in the classroom can be a challenge because you can’t just leave your kids to use the restroom. But if you start doing a gallon a day in the summer, you will find better bladder control will follow.” – Michael

“I add fruit to my water and it has helped me kick my soda habit.” – Kelly

“We take turns sharing healthy snacks in the staff lounge!” – Whitney

“I add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to my water/tea, make my own trail mix with cocoa almonds, and use coconut oil in cooking. I also reach out to the athletes for advice on boosting my metabolism and foods to avoid.” – Liz

Get creative when it comes to exercise time

“During your prep time, take a trip upstairs to visit a colleague. Use a tracker; you never realize how much you move during the day as a teacher. After work, don’t go straight home and relax. When you go home after a day of work, usually no physical activity will get done because we are so tired. Take 30 minutes to an hour to work out.” – Bryanne

“When students have recess and/or PE, you do too, and use a health app to manage your goals.” – Jeremy

“I schedule exercise into my morning routine to keep my energy up and mind clear. By doing it before my family awakes, I’m guaranteed uninterrupted personal time, 30 minutes a day, five to six days a week.” – Cheryl

“Working, parenting, running a household, and earning my master’s doesn’t leave much extra time for working out. So I multitask and ride a recumbent bike while doing the assigned reading, podcasts, or videos.” – Lisa

Get focused and make time for self-care

“Write out your goals. This will help keep you motivated and focused. Have a combination of short- and long-term goals. This will help you check off goals and it will make you want to commit to checking off more.” – Pat

“As enjoyable as our job is, it requires lots of energy, time, effort, etc. The last thing we need is to burn out by Tuesday, or in the years to come. Listen to your body. Make sleep a priority and keep a consistent sleep schedule.” – Tola

“Mindful meditation lowers your blood pressure and helps you feel more relaxed! Even taking 5 minutes a day to meditate can do the trick. Find a quiet place and focus your energy and mind on your breathing. With a little practice, it gets easier and it can be done anywhere at any time.” – Melissa

“Meditation is so critical to visualizing your day and it reduces stress.” – Wilkie

“Self-care is important to align with our eating habits. When you are home, disconnect as much as possible. When we are stressed, we neglect ourselves and begin to pick up habits that become difficult to change.” – Zakiya

On that note, is breakfast something you often skip? Check out these easy recipes for teachers.