Stop Glorifying Busy
Lately, I have found myself thinking a great deal about the concept of being busy and the connotations it has in our world—especially in the field of education. It seems that more and more I ask a friend or colleague, "How are you?" only to have them respond, "Busy!!" This leads me to dig deeper: "Yes, but how are you doing?"
With this weighing on my mind, I shared this tweet yesterday:
I woke up this morning to hundreds of likes and retweets. Clearly, it struck a chord.While on one hand, it was disheartening to know that so many needed this reminder, it was also encouraging. It was encouraging because this means a dialogue is opening up on the topic of self-care, and that it is being recognized as important—essential even.
As educators, many of us are made to feel that we are not "doing it right" if we aren't beating ourselves into the ground each day. Saying you stayed at work until eight o'clock at night is worn like a badge—as if it proves that you care more about your work as a educator than others. Because our work is kids, there seems to be a misconception that it means we should not care about ourselves—that putting kids first means putting ourselves last.
That cannot be further from the truth.
How can we truly care for our kids if we do not first care for ourselves?
The inspiring author Brené Brown has said, "Talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you love." This is true not only for how we speak to ourselves, but for how we treat ourselves as well. After all, the "golden rule" is: do unto others as you would have others do unto you. We want others to be treated with respect, kindness, and care, right? Well, then, we need to recognize that we deserve those same things, too.
Teacher burnout is a very real problem today. It is imperative that school leaders let teachers know that it is not only okay, but actually optimal— and vital—for them to take time to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. There is no badge for being the busiest, but there is wisdom in appreciating each present moment, spending quality time with your family and friends, and taking care of yourself physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
There is power in being in the present moment.
Just being.
And seeing. And listening. And reflecting.
As educators who value inquiry, we know the importance of reflection. It is a crucial component of the inquiry cycle. If reflection is key in productive learning experiences, isn't it then key in life, too? After all, life is one giant learning experience. We cannot dive into inquiry and take positive actions in our lives if we do not first take the time to reflect.
Taking care of ourselves each and every day will only lead to more productivity, progress, learning, and positive impact in our mission to serve kids, our world, and the future.
Stop glorifying busy.Start embracing care—for yourself and for the world around you.