You can’t pour from an empty cup! ~unknown
Last week I was talking to a friend,
also an educator/administrator and she was overwhelmed at work, but pushing
through what would be one more grueling week before the much needed break. I asked her what she was doing to take care
of herself. She had no answer.
I simply told her what we all know to
be true as educators. “You can’t pour
from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first.”
In life we know that taking care of responsibilities
comes before taking care of ourselves.
It shouldn’t be that way, but it often times is. In work, many people have the same perspective.
Education is no different, but it
morphs into an extreme form of “self-neglect” termed “burn out”.
Pouring from or attempting to pour from
an empty cup is dangerous because when there isn’t anything left to give, you
begin to borrow from an unavailable place.
Self-care is the most essential aspect
of teaching because it promotes a sense of maintenance that is unmatched. I encourage each of you to take a moment and
look at one part of your day that could be spent focusing on something other
than work. If you are not sure when that
is, carve out these moments.
Never be ashamed to spend a day doing nothing
during a break or holiday. Many times
that “nothing” is the exact thing you need to recharge or reboot. Education is a difficult journey because as students
borrow pieces of our heart, it has the potential to leave us in pieces. Work diligently on refilling your cup!
