There are two long hauls in the traditional school calendar where there are virtually no days off. November is the long month between summer and Winter Break. And March is the long month between Winter Break and Spring Break. The Long Haul is made up of days. And days are made up of hours. So it’s important to remember that you have 100% control over what you do with those hours. You can choose... Source ..read more

When I talk about your Zen Practice, I’m talking about that hobby that’s more than a hobby—it’s the activity that causes you to lose track of time, become fully engage and involved in it, recharge your battery, and plunge yourself into what scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called “Flow.” A Zen Practice is different for everyone. Yours might be: To discover your Zen Practice... Source ..read more

The world is filled with chaos and white noise. Car alarms, T.V.s blaring in restaurants, leaf blowers “beautifying” suburbia. We accept all of it as normal. It becomes a personal responsibility, then, an individual mission to carve out those moments where we can bask in the sweet bliss of silence. –In the car with no radio –In church on Sunday morning –During your coffee break or lunch at work... Source ..read more

Chance are you’ve spent a fair amount of time today scrolling on your device. And that’s fine. But think about that when you say you don’t have time to do that thing you want to do. Do you want to: –Read for pleasure? –Write? –Nurture a relationship with a friend or family member by a short text, email, or phone call? –Get out into nature? –Spend time with your children or your pet or both? Source ..read more

I was listening to a business guru recently and she said, “A Calendar is relationship.” I don’t think she even knew she said it, but the idea took my breath away. I’d never thought of it that way. A few years ago, I started taking responsibility for what was on my calendar. I started being mindful about what was on my schedule. But this is next level. And you know, just like in any relationship... Source ..read more

It was one of those moments of uncomfortable panic. I had just gotten out of my car and was walking toward the school office when I went for my phone, but my hands slapped an empty pocket. I walked back to my car and scanned the driver’s side seat and the console in the middle, where I often jam my phone in the cup holder. Both empty. For a moment, I was lost in the middle of the parking lot... Source ..read more

In my book Sanctuaries: Self-Care Secrets for Stressed Out Teachers* there is a chapter entitled “Play.” It revolves around the idea that, no matter how old you are, one great strategy for reducing stress, increasing self-care, and avoiding burnout is to just have fun. Plain and Simple. In all areas of The Zen Teacher experience, I have always tried to walk the talk. To that end... Source ..read more

The other night I watched a thriller from 1995 called The Net with Sandra Bullock, and it made me very anxious. My anxiety did not stem from the fact that the story revolves around the paranoia of our entire lives being online and in computers and how easy it would be for evil people to manipulate it and control our entire world and completely erase our identities with the click of a single key. Source ..read more

It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to have down time. It’s okay to relax. It’s okay to be idle. It’s okay to stare off into space (just not while driving. . .) It’s okay to NOT do. It’s okay to lollygag. It’s okay to meander. It’s okay to nap (no, really. . .). It’s okay to take time for yourself. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to sit down. It’s okay to refill your cup. It’s okay be still. Source ..read more

Photo by Luis Villasmil Burn out is often a function of sustained, consistent stress. And stress is a real thing, ya’ll! According to The Marlin Company, 80% of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half said they need help in learning how to manage stress. While there are many causes of stress and burn out, some of the most common are: Too much to do. Our culture rewards martyrdom and being... Source ..read more