Teacher's Summer Recovery Plan

   Congratulations, dear Colleagues, we reached the Summer! It means, that for some time we can forget about lessons plans, curriculum, students, classes, corrections, parents meetings, annual concerts and all the things we love so much.
   I call Summer my Recovery Time for one particular reason - I'm overworked ( and I bet, I'm not the one in this profession). I have 20-25 hours as a Primary teacher ( preparation and correction hours are not included), 15-20 Skype classes with adults. I have my choirs at home, I have a family, which needs some attention. So at the end of a school year, I am not well, I am functioning somehow, but it's more automatically ( 10 years of teaching experience helps me with that). So I spend my Summer vacation time doing nothing but caring for myself and my needs! Healthy and happy teacher - healthy and happy students ( and their parents!)!.

   So here is my usual Summer Recovery Plan which I am happy to share.

1. Sleep.

   Sleep at night, during the day, before eating and after. For the first week of vacation, I sleep or just take a nap all the time. I mean it. I explain to my daughter, that the following week I'll be mostly sleeping, because I am tired, and all the activities we will postpone until the next week. So it is fine with her. If I do not sleep, I just lay and watch TV, usually some idiotic nonsense just for my brain to rest. The more idiotic thing I watch the better rest I have. Mysteriously, but that's the fact! 

2. Apply at least one healthy habit.
   If all your habits are healthy, find a room for another one! There are plenty of things to do! I started drinking a huge cup of water with lemon and honey every morning right after I wake up and brush my teeth! It boosts energy and tastes great!

3. Play sport.
  Whatever and whenever you like! Run, swim, cycle, do yoga ( I think there is nothing better than yoga). I do not go to the sports club, all I need I find in YouTube. Easy, simple, fun!

4. Find a good massage therapist.
   Believe it or not, but if you find a right person, who will feel your body and its needs, not only your muscles will be fixed, but even emotions and feelings will become more positive. The best, of course, if you will have 10 days course. It is super helpful.

5. Travel.
   No needs, I guess, to describe how great the travels are. What I would add is, try to go to places you've never visited before. Once, before I moved here to Morocco, I just decided to come and visit this country ( you can read about that here: https://1beautiful-mind.blogspot.com/2017/07/introduction-to-morocco.html). It was a one-moment decision, which I never regretted. Now I live here on a permanent basis!

6. Challenge yourself.
   For every one of us it means different things - so you can try to do something you were always afraid of, or something really hard (like learning Mandarin Chinese) or whatever you want, just google something and do it! I started recycling and composting, I am preparing myself for No Waste lifestyle, it has to be my next challenge! I find a real joy in it! You can try it as well, plus it is wonderful for an environment and Earth!

7. Craft work.
   I strongly believe that there is nothing more beneficial than Art and hand crafting for your emotional condition and inner calmness. I used to do a bead work, but this time my daughter and I were decorating clay pots- for plants and composting. The purpose of this is the process of creating itself, I mean, I am not a talented painter, being honest, I cannot do a straight line when I draw on the board, but who cares! I find a joy painting my pots! Plus I am not selling them after or trying to assure someone that they are beautiful ( even though they are really pretty for me).

8. Read.

   If you are not a Literature Teacher who does not want to see any scripts until the end of the summer, read!

What a pleasure to sit on the sofa, drinking some tea and simply read. This is something that gives me absolute peace. Even the expectancy of reading is great! By the way, I do not like to read on the tablet, I need real pages, I am this old-fashioned lady, who needs to hear the sounds of turning pages and to smell them. I purchased three books for vacation, and one of them I already finished! "Wonder" by R.J.Palacio. Ah, what a great book!

9. Take care of your body.
   We all know the expression about healthy body healthy soul. And that is so right. Whatever works for you - do it! As I was writing about sport above, I'll just add that I drink vitamins and particularly Magnesium! It supports my nervous system ( which I am sure might be affected or even damaged at some point after a school year) or at least I believe it does. Plus I drink probiotics and eat natural yogurts with no sugar. I use natural cosmetics and I love it!


10. Love and appreciate yourself.
    You are doing great! Your work is one of the hardest in the world! Even if you have horrible students ( and believe me I know what I am talking about, check my post about Moroccan students I had here: https://1beautiful-mind.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-i-survived-year-being-primary.html ) or their parents, even if you are underpaid or any other things which we teachers know so well, do not forget your self-worth, because there is no one like you.

 Hope this post is useful for you and if there are other tips which work successfully for you, please share them in a comment section below.