The wrap-up of the school year and the transition to summer programs can be overwhelming for educators, children, and parents. It is a time of year when frustration becomes a constant factor in our daily lives. Although this time of year is pulling us in many different directions, it is the perfect time for educators to reflect on the school year.
These reflections allow us to honor our difficulties and struggles while taking the time to consider what we learned from each challenging situation we faced. Finding an opportunity within a challenge takes work to come naturally to me. It takes me a lot of effort to let go of guilt and shame to learn from difficult situations. I know this is true for many of us in early childhood education.
One thing that I will focus on during my reflection is self-care, not in the bubble bath and champagne area of self-care but in a more realistic way of making changes that will improve my personal and professional life. I want to set somewhat challenging and attainable goals, which is the key to making lasting change.
During a recent research session, I discovered a fantastic tool I plan to use- the Wellness Wheel/Self-Care Wheel. I wanted to share it with fellow early childhood professionals so we can all take time to take care of ourselves. As caregivers, we often put our self-care last. Giving ourselves permission to see ourselves as worthy of self-care is essential.
The Wellness Wheel was developed by psychologists Jane Myers, Thomas Sweeney, and Melvin Witmer in 2000 after they researched poor lifestyle choices leading to death. Dr. Myers and Dr. Witmer's wellness tool is designed to achieve a life defined by optimal health and well-being. It is an accessible visual tool that anyone can use. It doesn't require anyone to spend money; it offers simple guidance for lifestyle changes to be completed at an individual's pace.
The Wellness Wheel includes seven categories that contribute to our overall well-being: Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual, Occupational, and Social. We can set achievable goals to improve our health and well-being by digging into these categories.
You can start your Wellness Wheel journey by answering the following questions:
Does any one of these areas impact my stress? My health? My performance of tasks?
Are there any spokes of the wellness wheel that are off-balance? Are they more significant than another spoke, causing the wheel to shift off-center?
How can you address the things that you CAN change?
You can find a few more questions to ask yourself here.
If you would like to improve your wellness and start your self-care journey this summer, you can find more information and wellness wheel templates at the sites below:
