You went into your teaching career like gangbusters — excited, energetic, oozing creativity, eyes all atwinkle. But the weight of daily stress can begin to deflate those feelings of satisfaction and ambition and dull your passion. And, if left unchecked, can lead to burnout. Burnout is one of the most common reasons that teachers leave… Read More

Light itself is invisible until it reflects from something and hits our eyes. In the same way, the elements of our life are invisible until we take the time to actually see them through our mind’s eye. Self-reflection is taking the time to see the successes and failures, the opportunities and challenges, and the mental… Read More

With all you do, it’s easy to find yourself working around the clock just to stay ahead. Working too much can not only be damaging to your health but can also be damaging to your family. Creating a barrier at the end of work time — at least for a few hours — can help… Read More

When demands at work and home have you feeling like you’re about to crack, stop, breathe, and take a cue from nature. Channel your inner palm tree. Here’s the thing about palm trees: Even in the fiercest of storms, a palm tree will stay rooted in the ground. Devastating winds will destroy everything in their… Read More

When you’re at work, lunch feels like it cannot come soon enough — unless of course you’re a teacher with that crazy 10:30 am lunch block. Somehow leftover taco meat just doesn’t have the same appeal that early in the day. So what do you pack when your scheduled lunch is more like a brunch?… Read More

Not every day is rainbows, unicorns, and cupcakes with sprinkles. Sometimes the only side of the bed you can wake up on is the wrong side.  And that’s okay. It’s all part of this big amazingly messy experience called life. While you can’t necessarily control your mood or all the thoughts that pop into your… Read More

You love your students. And many of them come to school with traumatic backgrounds and stories that hurt your heart and affect you down to your soul. You listen. You care. You do everything you can to help these children manage and survive. But the most important element in helping others is being able to… Read More

Between caring for students and caring for family, sometimes the only alone time we get is those few minutes in the car on the way to or from work. But guess what? It’s still ALONE time and it should be celebrated and treated like the sacred gift it is. Make the most of this time… Read More

Pencils have erasers for a reason. Mistakes are a part of life. Mistakes mean we’re learning. We’re trying. We are pushing ourselves in new and sometimes uncomfortable ways. That’s the whole point. And, when we flip the switch on our perspective, we realize that mistakes truly are blessings in disguise — and those blessings may… Read More

You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas but this year, how about trying the 12 Days of Balance? We know that there are never enough minutes in a day to get our professional work done, never mind personal to-dos. Plus, many educators are truly passionate about their jobs and research shows that creative jobs… Read More

The use of water to heal the body and comfort the mind is as old as the Greek myths you may be teaching your students.  Hydrotherapy is used for rehabilitation, chronic pain, and musculoskeletal disorders — and spas around the world have added it to their menu of services to aid in detoxification, tension release,… Read More

Adding mindfulness to your life can create a calm in the storm, help you become more present, and train your thoughts to actually engage instead of just going through the motions. Mindfulness Training for Teachers walked you through mindfulness with two mindfulness pros over at Intel: Marissa Powers and Lindsay Benjamin. And Mindfulness Activities for… Read More

The school day starts early. And you were up late last night preparing lessons, grading papers, and cutting out 35 new teddy bear name tags. Sleepiness is weighing down your eyelids and creating a mist through your brain. Caffeine may take off some of the edge, but what you really need — and want —… Read More

You’ve perfected the art of deep belly breathing, you’re a meditation master, you’ve got mindfulness on lock. But have you tried palming? If you haven’t heard of it, keep reading. It may just be your new go-to move to alleviate tension and even improve your vision. Palming for relaxation Perfect for relaxation of the eyes,… Read More