Happy October. Today I'm excited because I get to present
a PD session on self-care and well-being tomorrow morning.
We are going to be using this handout that my friend Teacher Toni and I co-created a few years back. Typically I would take paper plates to a session, which makes for a great visual for the question, "What's on your plate?" but to be honest, they are kind of hard to write on. So my husband John and I made this plate-shaped template for us to fill out together, so we can see which areas need more nourishment on our wellness wheels. Then we'll take a suggestion from the Boosters sheet, highlight something from each area that we want to try and add it to the plates, not to add something more to do, but to give us another soul-food option.
The question will be, "How do you feed your __________ side? I led a Beyond The Bubble Bath growth session recently for Region 18; here's a link to those slides. I'm more and more convinced that wellness starts with self-love, because we cannot give away what we don't have.
And then, it's about finding the right resources for us.
Yoga stretches aren't for everyone, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity to teach my 8th graders about the benefits of this self-care strategy and practice it with them twice a week.
Here's a picture I shared at Open House:
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Reading also nourishes my soul. Currently I'm making my way through Bittersweet by Susan Cain and Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown. Next up? Soundtracks by Jon Acuff. What are you reading?
Another strategy that we've been doing for decades on our family farm, but we are just now learning that it's a "thing" is Cow Therapy.
I mean, who wouldn't want to cuddle this cute calf?
Guess I could add that to my Boosters page, but
you'd have to have access to a farm and some cattle.
What other strategies speak to and soothe your soul?
Blue spaces? Sunsets? Both?
As the weather permits, we love to be poolside
relaxing, restoring, recharging, rejuvenating.
When the mosquitoes are swarming or
the humidity is is too high for us to breathe,
I typically bake something tasty, like pumpkin bread.
In fact, that sounds amazing for such a time as this.
Praying for you, dear reader, a soul-nourishing Autumn.
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