When I was teaching, the Thanksgiving week was a time of deep rest and quiet. Typically, we did everything we could to avoid “doing” anything except changing the day-to-day work-life channel.
If deep rest is exactly what you need this year, I hope you’ll find these three ideas helpful.
#1: Repeat this mantra until you believe it:
“I don’t have to do anything.”
The critical part of this is the believing part, because if you truly embrace this philosophy, every possible thing that you could do becomes a choice based on your priorities. Since I began practicing this perspective, my mindset has shifted and I am finding myself to be more focused, getting more accomplished in less time, and most days are free of stress. So, write these words on the top of your planner so you see it and remember it, especially on those days when traditional expectations are nagging you to give up the joy of directing how you spend your time.
#2: Simplifying is the key to Amplifying.
Whatever you choose to do, break it down into short and simple actions that you can do in 20-25 minutes. Then hold yourself accountable to completing the task within that time. Discipline yourself to not get sucked down a rabbit hole, and, if you find an interesting rabbit hole that seems worthy of your time and attention, make a note of it (copy the link, write a post-it, jot it down in your planner) and come back to it later. Just keeping your attention on knocking out those short tasks is going to invigorate you and help you get your work done. Then if that rabbit hole is still calling, you can take it on during the free time you have left over. My experience? Most of the time, the thrill and appeal were gone!
#3: Reward yourself!
I grew up with a dad whose motto was literally this: “Rest when you die!” Oh my gosh! No wonder I have to give myself a HUGE talking to when I’m beating myself up for taking time to watch a movie, read a book for pleasure, or cheer on my favorite teams on Sunday! The better I get at finishing my lists without the stress, the more choice time I’m finding in my life…and the LAST thing I want to be dealing with is guilt or shame around taking some time to relax! So, I usually add some sort of reward to my daily plans: a nap, a walk, sitting in the hot tub, or vegging out with popcorn and a movie…and NO GUILT!
So there you have it! Three truly simple things you can think about to get some genuine rest over your Thanksgiving break.
Here’s a gift to sweeten your Restful week: a short video and e-book with more thoughts on how you can take care of yourself now and whenever you need a little reminder!
The holidays are upon us and for teachers that means more excitement, more projects, more special events, and more magic to create! If you use these three tips, I promise you’ll be savoring these moments like never before!
If you want more tips for taking charge of your time and your life, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at www.claudiamann.org and follow me (Instagram and Facebook)
