# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ask yourself, what do I need right now?

Mind-Body activities can help people tolerate discomfort better, help teach self-regulation, reduce meltdowns, lower stress, and create focus.

When to use: ANY TIME. Other ideas include brain breaks or transition to another activity, throughout the day, either before or after a challenging task.

Breathing techniques

Balloon breath: You can either breathe lying down in a resting position on their back, or sitting up. Practice breathing in deeply and at the same time "fill up a balloon" in their bellies. You may place one hand on your stomach to feel for the balloon. As you breathe out, "deflate the balloon".
Benefits: Relieve symptoms of stress, trigger the relaxation response
Ocean Breath: Breathe in through your nose and then exhale, opening your mouth and make a "haaaaa" sound, like an ocean wave. You can bein any seated, standing, or resting pose to do this. You may also put your palms together in front and then raise them to the sky as you breathe in and then lower them as you breathe out.
Benefits: Calms the mind, relaxes the neck and lower face
Lion's Breath: this technique can help discharge extra energy that you may have, especially if you are feeling angry or agitated.

1. Breathe in through the nose, open your mouth, stick out tongue and breathe out forcefully through mouth, making a face like a lion and aloud noise as you force the air out of your lungs.
Benefits: Relieves excess energy, relieves tension in the jaw, neck, and chest Mindfulness, Grounding, and Breathing Exercise
Close your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so, or you can choose to gaze upon a non-living object. We're going to start by focusing on our feet if we are sitting in a chair, or your sitz bones if you are seated on the ground. Focus on the sensation you feel as your body connects with the ground. Let go of everything that was on your mind as you came in this morning. We are focused on being present in the moment. I want you to focus next on your breathing. Breathe in through your nose for five seconds and breathe out through your mouth, taking everything insidethat is distracting you out with your breath. As you breathe in, focus on your intention today. This time as you breathe out, breathe out through your nose, and try to breathe out for about 8 seconds. Practice at least three more breaths like this.

Components of Self-Care

Relationship with yourself: Be connected to your own body and sensations. Notice signs of stress, fatigue, and burnout.

Community: Find other teachers to connect with that are doing this work that you can connect with

Boundaries: Cultivate the courage to say no.

Downtime: Set aside time for hobbies and relaxation.

Significant relationships: Do you have relationships where you feel supported?

Self-Care and Self-Compassion
A Self-Awareness Practice to Tune-In:

Look around the room. Move your head to take in your environment, as if you have discovered a new place and you are curious about it. Track your body. Did you take a deep breath just by looking around? Tune into your body and notice what is there. You may close your eyes if you wish.

What sensations do you feel? Are there areas that feel tight? What's feeling good? Try to scan your sensations without placing judgment on them. Notice if there is a lack of sensation in any part.

What emotions do you feel? Are you eager? Are you nervous? Try to scan your emotions without placing judgment on top of them. Just observe, notice yourself.

Deliberately deepen your breath. Make a sound if you feel like it. Notice what happens as you do.

What we just practiced is called self-awareness.
Orienting and Grounding
Orienting: Sit comfortably in a chair with both feet on the ground. Slowly turn your head and look around at your environment. As you slowly check the room around you, try noticing objects that you find pleasant to look at.
Benefit: Re-orient you if you have a hypervigilant nervous system. Helps relax the body and is good to counteract anxiety, promotes mindfulness practice, and promotes self-regulation.
Grounding: You can do this either walking or sitting. If you are sitting, focus on the feeling of your feet on the floor and how your legs feel, without any judgement. If you are walking, focus on the feeling of your feet touching the ground and the feelings in your legs. This can help those who might feel dissociated to feel secure and empowered again.
Benefit: diminish states of activation in the nervous system, helps focus us back tow here we are instead of in our head space (helpful to people who are or have been impacted by trauma), helps counter dissociation. Research shows that regular grounding practice can help regulate strong emotions such as anger.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mind-Body activities can help people tolerate discomfort better, help teach self-regulation, reduce meltdowns, lower stress, and create focus. When to use: ANY TIME. Other ideas include brain breaks or transition to another activity, throughout the day, either before or after a challenging task.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wellness for Educators is a 501(c)3 nonprofit led by an amazing team of educators, licensed mental health professionals, and certified mind-body facilitators working together to support educators through whole-school, research-based, trauma- and equity-informed mind-body education, practices, and strategies for mental, physical, social, and emotional health and wellbeing. We provide whole-system and choose-your-own-adventure approaches, bolstering schools, districts, and community-focused organizations to cultivate safety, connection, belonging, and resilience for all stakeholders, including educators, students, and family/caregivers.

We offer a choose-your-own-adventure type approach to our programming for each organization we work with, working together to co-create a personalized playlist of offerings based on expressed needs. We work with schools and districts, educator professional organizations, conferences, nonprofits, universities and colleges, and companies. Examples of some of the stand-alone programming we offer are featured by stakeholder in the menu above. Keep in mind that, as we work together to design your program, we are always open to creative ideas, so we will invite you to ideate with us to create exactly what you and your team and community need. Our team is very creative and agile, and we love the innovative process of co-designing experiences with those we work with. We also practice continuous improvement during our programming and have the ability to pivot as needed based on shifting needs. We work with all different budgets, so don't feel like what you need is too small or too big. Continuing education units are available for all of our programming, and we can build that into the experience we create together. We want to support you and your community! Looking forward to creating something with you soon! Contact Us to get started in creating your team's adventure!

We wouldn't be able to do what we do without the help of the many partners who collaborate with us on our programming. We are grateful for them! Several of our partners are shared below. If you're interested in partnering with us or learning how our programming can support your organization as you continue to grow your offerings, please contact us. We look forward to working with you!

We work with many different organizations, including schools, districts, universities, educator professional organizations, nonprofits, companies, and more. Below are several examples of the organizations we support. We look forward to supporting you!

For Educators

For educators, we offer free resources, including our Wellness Library, Podcast, and Blog. Microcourses, one-on-one coaching, and group coaching circles are available for purchase. We also offer access to a year-round community through our annual membership. This membership includes access to additional resources, regular chats, a reflective forum, mind-body wellness sessions, and happy hours, as well as discounted rates to any paid-for content, such as microcourses, circles, and coaching.

For Schools & Districts

For schools and districts, we offer a robust school- and district-wide transformation support through our SWIM Model that includes a multi-tier approach to support all stakeholders. We also offer choose-your-own-adventure programming with supports for leaders, educators, parents/guardians, and students through coaching, reflection circles, microcourses, webinars, and book studies focused on whole school/district wellness, restorative discipline, social and emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, psychED / mental health education, mind-body wellness, and more.

For Leaders

For school and district leaders, we offer robust school- and district-wide transformation support through our SWIM Model that includes a multi-tier approach to support all stakeholders. We also offer choose-your-own-adventure programs through coaching, reflection circles, microcourses, webinars, and book studies focused on whole school/district wellness, restorative discipline, SEL, trauma-informed practices, psychED / mental health education, mind-body wellness, and more.

For Communities

For communities and non-profit organizations, we offer choose-your-own-adventure programming based on the needs of the community or organization. Some of the programming that we currently are engaging include leadership circles, microcourses, webinars, book studies, and coaching. We are always open to new ideas based on those we work with and can and do pivot as needs change.

"I am drafting this email to thank each of you for your hard work and efforts with these sessions. This has helped me more than you all know. After my stroke, I promised that I would put my mental health first. Thanks again, you all have made a difference with me."

"Truly appreciative the wealth of resources shared!"

"This course inspired me to host a mental health week in our district, and it was so well-received by all involved. Thank you so much!"

"I'd like to thank you for this PLU. This is very possibly the best PLU I've ever participated in. I love how y'all set it up."

"I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful, needed course. Last week, I had a 3rd grade student bring a loaded weapon to school. All is resolved now, but as I was going through the process that something like this would entail, I kept thinking about trauma stewardship that you guys have taught me about. This is the first time this has happened at my school, but the second time as an administrator that I have been involved with disarming a loaded weapon. Seeing a deadly weapon come out of a book bag is something that imprints on your brain. Afterward, I was so shaken the next few days. I kept thinking - trauma stewardship. I must take care of myself along with others in my care. I feel this was a God thing that I took this class. Thank you again for all of the valuable information. It has certainly been put to use in my life."

"I cannot tell you how much I needed this class. I finished reading the entire book this past weekend, and I realized how numb I have become to trauma. I really appreciate everyone who set this learning experience up, and I am of the opinion that everyone needs this. Again, thank you because this is not only showing me how to help others, but more importantly it has shown me how to help myself. Thank you."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are invested in and passionate about supporting educators with research-based, trauma- and equity-informed somatic (mind-body) education, practices, and strategies for mental, physical, social, and emotional health and wellbeing and learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
George Lucas Educational Foundation

Explore practical strategies to battle teacher burnout and bring excitement and creativity into the classroom.

Sort by:

Preparing for a new school year means more than printing, decorating, and organizing-it's also about getting into the right frame of mind.

A trauma-informed approach ensures that students feel safe, supported, and nurtured-to improve their chances of academic success.

It won't be easy, but if you prepare for turbulence and set reasonable goals, you'll stay calmer and make progress in all the right places.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore practical strategies to battle teacher burnout and bring excitement and creativity into the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
California School-Based Health Alliance | Bringing Health Care to Kids in School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SBHCs can host Teacher Wellness Days with self-soothing activities:

Massage stations at wellness events

Staff yoga classes

Goodie bags with soothing treats such as tea and chapstick

Fresh flowers for teachers on wellness days

SBHC staff can support educators' self-care by helping them to create their own wellness programs and finding ways educators can commit to their own wellbeing.

Some SBHCs offer raffle incentives to educators who participate in wellness activities for themselves 30 minutes a day. The wellness activity is determined by the educator and can include mindfulness practice, taking a walk, eating a healthy lunch, drinking enough water, or reaching out to a colleague for help. The raffle incentivizes staff creating healthy rituals and building consistent self-care habits.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Staff Wellness | California School-Based Health Alliance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Out of school time programs support health in many different ways by providing access to nutritious foods, promoting lifelong healthy habits, and keeping students physically fit. Access the resource pages below for promising practices, resource libraries, data and research, free curriculum ideas and so much more!

Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Works with schools, youth-serving organizations, businesses, and communities to empower kids to develop lifelong healthy habits by ensuring the environments that surround them provide and promote good health.

California Healthy Kids Resource Center
Provides assistance to school districts and county offices of education as a source of comprehensive information about health-related research and instructional materials to support effective programs for students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Health & Wellness Resources - AfterSchool Network

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Out of school time programs support health in many different ways by providing access to nutritious foods, promoting ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ACSA has compiled a growing library of resources and supports for mental wellness for students and educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Power of Investing in High Performance School Buildings for Health and Safety

You'll leave this webinar equipped with guidance and tools to plan, design, and execute high-performance school projects in your district.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Health & Wellness Resources for School Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Resources and support for educational leaders on student, staff and community health and wellness from AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These past years, fraught with pandemic and polarized political tensions, have been tough on the people who run schools. Principals everywhere have stepped up to the occasion-putting out fires, coping with unexpected situations, and engaging, informing, and rallying their staff to hold the pandemic's negative impact at bay.

Many principals admit that they had no idea their careers as school administrators would be so stressful. And many are experiencing the forces that research indicates lead to burnout: work overload, lack of control, insufficient rewards, unfair treatment, breakdown of community, values conflict, and lack of fit with the job.

Burnout rates are high in the education field, especially among principals. This is almost certainly thanks to unprecedented pressure to meet aggressive student achievement standards, on top of coping with constant change and working harmoniously with diverse stakeholders. Somehow, they are also expected to maintain a positive school environment.

These job demands can lead to exhaustion, and ultimately burnout syndrome-a state of mental and physical exhaustion any worker can experience when work demands exceed personal resources. In this situation, individuals can become weary to the point of no longer caring because they feel that what they do does not matter, indicating a state of emotional exhaustion. When principals devote too much time and resources to their work and develop a very poor work-life balance, their ability to care about and be kind suffers-a state described as depersonalization. Those who experience depersonalization no longer see people as people, but as problems that must be attended to in some fashion.

In that frame of mind, a principal may allow cynicism and negative feelings to take over, leading to sarcastic, unhelpful responses. As their ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships becomes further compromised, principals may exhibit diminished patience, tolerance, involvement, and caring; emotionally exhausted individuals develop a sense of helplessness that no matter how hard they try, they will never make a difference.

Perhaps even worse, that stress is contagious. If principals do not attend to their own well-being to counteract its negative mental, social, emotional, and physical health effects, their coworkers may be at risk for the same negative effects. Typically, principals who attend to their own well-being are effective leaders who adopt a positive, proactive style and are able to meet others' needs because they have the resources necessary to meet the challenges of the profession. These school administrators show acceptance, compassion, trust, and patience, and listen to others' concerns in a nonjudgmental, caring, and empathic way.

However, despite widespread acknowledgment of the importance of promoting social and emotional well-being in K-12 schools, most efforts been directed exclusively toward supporting students' mental health, with little focus on supporting the well-being of teachers and administrators. So, what can we do to better prepare future school leaders for conditions that are sure to recur-and so promote their well-being? Here are five suggestions.

1. Support self-care

In his 2004 book, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Resources to Overloaded Lives, physician Richard Swenson describes the amount of power available beyond that which is needed as "margin": something held in reserve for unanticipated situations. We all have an amount of "power" that is made up of factors such as skills, time, resources, emotional strength, physical strength, faith, financial support, and knowledge, among others.

On the other hand, the "load" includes internal factors (for example, personal aspirations and expectations) and external factors such as workload, relationship expectations, responsibilities, social involvement, and more. When our power is greater than our load, we have margin. We have enough space to take more or be balanced or handle everyday life.

When our load is greater than our power, we are overloaded, which leads to stress and anxiety. We eventually won't be able to handle it all. Enduring this "no margin" damages our physical, mental, spiritual, and relational health. So, we need to proactively maintain some margin in order to operate healthily work-wise and life-wise. As principals who feel they need to meet the needs of everyone else first, we have difficulty saying no to people, to simply say, "I have no margin." Maintaining a margin by sometimes saying "no" may be a sign of health.

Currently, though being "burned out" and "busy" seems to be equated with "productivity" in the field of education, principals who are stressed and overworked are actually less effective. That's why we should start shifting that culture away from holding our state of stress as a badge of honor to one that honors free time and appreciates calm.

In a new, healthier culture, self-care is not a selfish act. You don't expect a car to operate without gas. Similarly, you cannot serve from an empty vessel. School districts, school boards, professional associations, colleagues, and staff can support principals' well-being by sending messages that confirm the importance of self-care for school leadership.

More concretely, we can lower expectations that principals will answer their emails on weekends or after school hours, unless there are true emergencies. This may seem like a small step, but it can be a huge support to principals. Wellness programs for self-care also can help school leader stress, since a work-life balance can increase productivity and positivity while also providing a model for staff and students. Mindfulness can be another effective tool of self-care through development of perspective, being present in the moment, and increased resiliency for effective problem solving. Carving time for connections with people we care about, whether it be through a virtual Zoom call or on a nature hike or over an outing, can help boost mental health, improve our quality of life beyond school or work, and amplify our sense of fulfillment and gratitude.

2. Make principal well-being part of professional development

Almost all professional development programs focus on helping principals improve school performance (curricula, initiatives, pedagogical strategies), but few focus on developing skills to support their own well-being.

In the business world, many corporations provide opportunities for leadership teams to participate in social-emotional learning (SEL) programs; in the field of education, however, most school systems do not provide such opportunities for their leaders. Professional development programs must be developed to cultivate principals' own social and emotional well-being and help them develop the skills necessary to effectively lead SEL implementation.

There are examples to follow. The School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver is offering the Prosocial Leader Certificate for school leaders who are interested in a school-wide systemic social and emotional learning implementation. This three-course certificate includes a course that solely focuses on strengthening adult social and emotional competencies as they explore self-care practices and strategies through the integration of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program within the course.

3. Promote coaching or mentoring models

Although short-term professional development programs may support principals' social and emotional well-being, the learning-application process requires sustained support over time. It may be helpful to establish local networks for school leaders to help them connect with others who face similar demands and challenges and with mentors they can trust.

Guidance and support from peers may help prevent isolation, which has become more pronounced in recent years as the role of the principal has become more complex. Mentorship programs that partner veteran principals with novice principals may also promote well-being. By providing ongoing professional development opportunities and establishing mentorship programs, schools can help principals attend to their own well-being.

Again, there are examples to follow. The National Center for Courage & Renewal was established at Wellesley College in 2006 by influential education thinker Parker J. Palmer. For over 20 years, they have worked to create a unique approach to renewing personal identity, vocational vitality, and professional integrity-and the courage to act on those values.

In 2018, they and their partners developed The Soul of Leadership: Courage, Presence, & Integrity (SoL), which combines peer-to-peer connections, embedded coaching, and mentoring models to foster principal well-being. In an evaluation of the program for the cohort of 2020-2021, principals reported that the SoL program reduced their burnout, and measures confirm that both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization fell among participants. They also reported a greater sense of effectiveness and accomplishment.

4. Change policies and standards to support well-being

Principals are key to developing welcoming, caring school environments that enable students to thrive and achieve social, emotional, and academic success. Principals' well-being must, therefore, be a priority in any system aimed at promoting a healthy school climate and student well-being. States, districts, and schools can embed well-being as a goal in strategic plans, budgets, and curricula, formalizing SEL standards, and making provisions to invest in SEL teams.

For example, federal Title I funds can be used for non-instructional costs if the costs improve student achievement and can also be spent on comprehensive, school-wide interventions if it improves overall performance. Given research that supports the positive impact of SEL and well-being on academic achievement, Title I funds can help support well-being efforts among staff.

Additionally, we can formalize self-care requirements for school administrators. Professional standards and evaluation tools can include modeling of self-care and support of self-care initiatives as leverage to prioritize well-being initiatives. School improvement goals can ensure well-being gets emphasized in professional development for faculty and leaders.

The National Policy Board for Educational Administration adopted new national professional standards for school leaders in November 2015-but these do not recognize the importance of principals' social and emotional well-being. When those standards are next revisited, we hope to see them prioritize and formalize proactive self-care.

5. Create greater stability through longer-term principal assignments

Principal turnover is a serious concern, given the critical role school leaders play in implementing long-term school improvement efforts. The numbers of principals and superintendents retiring this past year has skyrocketed with the spread of the pandemic.

However, evidence shows that schools with high turnover exhibit lower commitment to improvement. Moreover, principal turnover can lead to teacher turnover, thereby increasing levels of dissatisfaction and burnout and decreasing the likelihood of cultivating satisfying, caring relationships. In neighborhoods with high levels of student mobility and poverty, principal stability is especially important. Schools can support the creation of environments that promote and prioritize well-being for all school stakeholders by creating greater stability for principals through longer-term assignments.

Many principals respond to highly stressful emotional situations in ways that jeopardize their ability to develop and sustain healthy relationships, lead effectively, build strong ties with the community, and support healthy schools. For the sake of these principals-and indeed our entire educational system-we need to make a collective effort to shift our focus from measurement and testing achievement alone, to promoting well-being. If COVID has taught us anything, it is this: Well-being should be the foundation of all facets of schooling.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five Ways to Support the Well-Being of School Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These past years, fraught with pandemic and polarized political tensions, have been tough on the people who run schools. Principals everywhere have stepped up to the occasion-putting out fires, coping with unexpected situations, and engaging, informing, and rallying their staff to hold the pandemic's negative impact at bay.