BubbleUp Take5: Stressed? Try Mindfulness.

Lately, I've felt the stress creep in. Looking at the calendar, the timing is about right. School is in full swing, the breaks are few and far between (no fall break for my school district), the work is piling up. Oh, and the gloss of "this is all new and shiny!" is wearing off. Kids are getting tired. Their work is getting harder. You get the idea and if you are a teacher, you know what I mean because you are living it. That's not to say I don't love my job. I do -- I love it to the tips of my little dressy flats --, but if you pour your soul into this job the way the work demands, it's stressful. It just is. So as teachers, we have to not only constantly work to create the best lesson and to build lasting relationships with our students, but also to keep stress in check so that we can be our best selves -- the selves our students need. So this week, I've taken a deep look at mindfulness as a way to combat the stress both in my own life, but also in the lives of my students.  Here's what I discovered along the way. 

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​I loved this -- an article I found in the KQED Mindshift Archives: Why Teachers Say Practicing Mindfulness is Transforming Work. 

An article, entitled Destress the Classroom: Bringing Mindfulness to Students and Teachers by Lily Jones that recently appeared in Forbes explores ways that teachers can bring Mindfulness into their lives and their classrooms using the Calm App. 

I liked this list on Education.com because it has easy, practical strategies for combating teacher stress in the classroom and there are a lot of small things from which to choose.  

A recent study highlighted in an NPR story indicates that Tetris can ease anxiety. You heard me right. Tetris. I haven't since the 90s on my GameBoy but maybe I should start again. Check it out: Can't Stop Worrying? Try Tetris to Ease Your Mind.  ​

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In Integrating Mindfulness in Classroom Curriculum, Giselle Shardlow highlights strategies for bringing mindfulness into your classroom. 

I've found over the years that if I don't process what I have learned I am far less likely to use new information. I am determined to integrate more mindfulness practices into my teaching so I made this sketchnote about this week's Take5 to solidify my thinking. Plus, it's a reminder that I can put in a prominent place (maybe in my classroom or by my bedside table) to remember to teach and act mindfully. I also want to promote sketchnoting as an activity to destress. It allows me to stop and take time for my own learning. So here's my sketchnote: 
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How do you bring calm to your classroom and teaching? Have ideas for combating stress? Please share them! We'd love to hear from you.

​-Corey 

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You might also like:

• BubbleUp Take5: The Great Cell Phone Debate, Wait Time, Mindfulness, Mistakes and some inspiration from Coach Kerr (January 30, 2018)
• Looking for work life balance in a place called school (April 11, 2017)