Back-To-School Anxiety? Four Essential Mindfulness-Based Practices For Educators

Sometimes, however, these well-meaning practices can feel like one more task on the to-do list. By incorporating mindfulness practices into our daily routines, as they are already, we create strength, cultivate adaptability, and develop a more positive mindset:

Have a difficult conversation with your stress: Journal your anxiety. Get in the car, blast some music, and yell about what's bugging you. In order to process, we need to look our stressors in the eye and say, "OK. I see you. I acknowledge you. And now I'm moving on." By looking under the bed, we begin to dismantle the scary, disconnect from the emotion, thereby allowing ourselves to respond rather than react.

Often when we're overwhelmed, we forget the resources we do have access to. Whether it's with prepping dinner or asking a colleague to watch your class for five minutes so you can take deep breaths in the restroom—pause to determine where you can ask for help. 

Protect your time and your energy. As people whose inherent inclination is toward helping, it's very easy for teachers to keep saying yes and to make it easier for others—often at their own expense. If happy hour has a tendency to become a draining loop of venting and rehashing, politely decline. If the teachers' lounge is a toxic space of complaining, get some fresh air and take a quick walk. If your students need to wait just one extra day to get their papers back because you need to get sweaty and throw some weights around after work, they'll be OK. I promise. Boundaries create space for you to be more present. When you're more present, you thrive inside and outside of the classroom. 

Rather, it means taking 10 seconds to intentionally acknowledge how magical that first sip of coffee tastes. Or silently celebrating the accomplishment of gaining another human's trust when a student comes to you for help. A consistent practice of taking in the good cultivates more resilience and feelings of contentment.

We can't predict what the future holds, but we can take some steps to ensure we approach the year from a place of strength, calm, and empowerment. One thing at a time, one deep breath at a time—you got this.