I have spent the past few months studying resilience and self-care! So interesting and I want to share some nuggets on here.
Your wellbeing matters and is something that only you can drive. Each person will have a different self-care strategy and sometimes it’s only when ill health happens or something drastic happens that it wakes people up to really nourish their wellbeing. At least that was the case for me! Ha.
Seligman’s PERMA model (2012) and theory of Wellbeing which indicates there are 5 elements that contribute to wellness; positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishments (Pascha, 2020).
Positive emotion: What lifts you up and brings you joy? Beyond a yummy piece of chocolate (nothing wrong with chocolate)….but what fills you up? Whether that is surfing, yoga or spending time with people you love.
Engagement: What activity encourages you to be really present?
Relationships: Who are the people around you regularly and do these connections support you and you them?
Meaning: How do you spend your time and do you believe in the work you do or what you are studying or what you are invested in?
Accomplishments: How are you progressing? Are you proud of your effort and results regardless if you win or not? Are you proud of yourself for showing commitment and regularly seeing your personal progress?
Yoga is one part of your self-care strategy and we practice being present with the breath on the mat, however your self-care also relates to how you spend your time the other 23 hours of the day when you are not on the yoga mat or practicing your breathing exercises.
In this time of COVID-19, a few things are coming to light, one of those being mental wellbeing and being forced to re-assess life from all angles. Burnout is a big one and it’s rarely something that happens overnight. As Laravee (2012, p. 10) indicates, burnout “results from a long-term pattern of self-neglect, a slow disintegration that eventually erodes both a teacher’s passion and compassion.”
How can you keep your passion and compassion burning bright? Goodness knows we need your light in the world at this time that can feel really hectic and dark. Here is your reminder to develop your self-care strategy and start planting seeds to nourish yourself and to flourish. 🙂
References
Laravee, (2012). Cultivating Teacher Renewal : Guarding Against Stress and Burnout. Lanham,
Maryland: R&L Education.
Pascha, M. (2020). The PERMA model: Your scientific theory of happiness.
https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model