Don’t let the summer pass you by. Summer is the perfect time for teachers to recharge. But just like a battery, it doesn’t charge by itself. You need the right input to recharge. I suggest a structured experience for your morning routine during the summer. I have started doing Miracle Morning, a program detailed by Hal Elrod. It literally changed my life. The links to the books in this article are affiliate links. Recharge this summer with a new summer routine.
The Miracle Morning
The premise of The Miracle Morning is that you can supercharge your day and effectiveness to achieve your goals by implementing rituals that have been done around the world for centuries. There are 6 essential elements to the Miracle Morning: Scribing, Affirmations, Visualizations, Exercise, Read, and Silence. For me, the program has become part of my daily self-care. Yes, it takes a big time investment, but it has made a giant difference in my mental health. For example, my panic attack episodes are decreasing, and I was able to get on a lower dose of an antidepressant. I told my wonderful psychiatric nurse about the program and she called me a, “model patient,” at my latest appointment in May.
After committing to doing my Miracle Morning regularly, I have been able to get closer to achieving my goals, and I attribute that to my Miracle Morning practice. I have lost over 20 pounds, I’ve increased my flexibility, I can lift more weight. I’ve completed some projects I’ve been working on for ages. I don’t feel right when I don’t do my practice Monday through Friday. I sometimes do it on the weekend, but I’m not as strict about it then.
Miracle Morning For Teachers
I have not read it yet, but Hal Elrod has also written Miracle Morning for Teachers. Some teachers even incorporate the ideas of Miracle Morning into the beginning of their school day with their students. I’ve done some of it with my students by having them practice (non-woo-woo) meditation to calm and clear their minds. I’m sure it would have been better if I had been more consistent with it.
Self-Care, Self-Soothing, Self-Indulgence, and Self-Sabotage
I have a theory that self-care and self-soothing aren’t the same thing. Often, we see self-care touted as drinking a glass of wine, having ice cream, or going on a shopping spree. The phrase “Treat Yourself,” comes to mind. I think Miracle Morning lands firmly in the self-care category, which I think is the most important one. I think some things can fall into different categories, depending on how often they are done. A glass of wine on occasion might be a fun indulgence, but drinking a bottle of wine a night is self-sabotage. The categories are slightly fluid, but you will be able to figure out where something falls for you.
Self-Care
Actively makes improvements to your mental or physical health, often both.
Self-Soothing
Makes yourself feel better with no negative consequences. Examples might be getting a pedicure or taking a bubble bath.
Self-Indulgence
Something that is very enjoyable in the moment, but shouldn’t be done to excess. Examples include drinking or eating too much dessert.
Self-Sabotage
These are often the same items that are self-indulgence in moderation. But it can also be things like self-injurious behavior, creating relationship conflict, or more. It’s not necessarily a conscious decision to sabotage, but sabotage is the result. It makes your mental and physical health worse over time.
Summer Routine
What do you want to accomplish this summer? It doesn’t have to be a school or teaching related goal either. Maybe you want to read a certain number of books for fun or books to improve your teaching. Or you want to do a weekly craft with your children. Maybe you want to improve the connecting with your partner by taking some weekend getaways or a stay-cation. It doesn’t matter what you want to do, but I do recommend having something you want to accomplish. You’ll feel better when the school year starts that you did something you intended to. Maybe your goal is to take a nap everyday! That’s OK too. Just give yourself some kind of measuring stick to know that you had a successful summer. It will help give you energy at the beginning of the school year.
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