As educators, our mental health needs to be a priority. We value teacher wellness and encourage all educators to take time for self-care. We even blend teacher wellness with our professional learning opportunities because we know that it’s vital for educators to be successful. For example, we offer monthly guided wellness practices to members of Cultivating Connection, our online professional learning community for educators. We also host learning retreats which include yoga and mindfulness practices to complement our professional learning workshops.
One simple, but powerful wellness practice we’ve both adopted is a gratitude practice. Having a gratitude practice means that you make a deliberate effort to acknowledge things you are thankful for. Listen to the Getting Started with Gratitude podcast episode to get started with your own gratitude practice.
Benefits of a Gratitude Practice
- improved mood
- increased optimism
- greater happiness
- improves relationships with others
- reduces stress
3 Ways to Get Started with Gratitude
Gratitude Journalling: Use a notebook to write down a list of things you’re grateful for each day. It an be a simple, bulleted list or you can elaborate with a few sentences
Gratitude Jar: Keep a jar and slips of paper handy in your home or classroom. Jot down things you are grateful for on the slips of paper and add them to the jar. You can pull them out and read them as often as you like, but especially when you’re having a difficult day.
Gratitude meditation: Try listening to a guided meditation on the theme of gratitude. You can use this one to get you started.
Sources:
Morin, A. (2015, April 3). 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude
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If you’re committed to both professional learning and wellness, check out Cultivating Connection, our new, online professional learning community for educators.