whimsy

I am so thankful for today’s Google doodle. In honor of Google’s 19th birthday, they’ve created a fun, interactive program to celebrate. I spun the wheel and got to an interactive one minute, deep breathing activity, which, it turns out, was just what I needed at 8:30am today. I shared it with one of my team’s during their meeting and it allowed a moment of laughter in a tough conversation.

We need these moments of whimsy. We need these moments of release. Our work is sacred and important and difficult and exhausting. It is also beautiful and rewarding. It is easy for us to become overwhelmed as educators. We simply must make space for the silly or relaxed now and again. I keep a link to Calming Manatee in my bookmarks bar for when I need two seconds of release.

This is all to say that mental self-care is essential for educators. We, by our natures, are givers and if we don’t take care of our own selves, we cannot give our best. So here is your permission slip to take care of yourself today and take two minutes for whimsy.