Finding JOY in Uncertainty

Teachers and students are heading back to school with high hopes for the school year.

In most schools, masks and social distancing are once again encouraged or even required. As teachers welcome a new group of students, they will need to assess how the past 18 months have impacted them academically, mentally and emotionally. Like always, teachers will assess the situation and create the best learning environment possible for their class.

Have you ever wondered, “who takes care of the teachers?”

It is important for teachers to take care of themselves mentally and emotionally as they navigate a new school year. There will be many emotions from co-workers, administration, students and parents as there continue to be uncertainties around the pandemic. Teachers need 

One of the basic lessons I teach in the Catholic Life Coach Academy is that our thoughts create our feelings. Every emotion is connected to a thought. The brain can be filled with many thoughts and emotions all at the same time. It is helpful to be a  “watcher” of your brain and to look in to observe what you are thinking and feeling.

This sounds easy, but it takes time to discover this awareness.

Here are 5 steps that teachers can take to uncover their thoughts and feelings:

1. Identify how you feel right now. Be specific and give it a name. Don’t say good or bad, but really dig deep and determine what you are feeling. A feeling is simply a vibration in your body. There is not a right or wrong feeling. Your feelings are YOUR feelings. 
2. Find the sentence in your mind that goes with the feeling. Answer this question, “why do I feel this way?” Be honest with your answers. Don’t judge yourself or worry about what someone else would think about your answer. Your answer is a simple thought in your brain. 
3. Ask yourself if your thought is true. So many of our thoughts are judgments or assumptions that aren’t accurate. Our thoughts come from others, the world, expectations or beliefs we’ve had for a long time. 
4. Ask yourself, “do I want to keep thinking this thought and feeling this feeling?” The great news about thoughts is that no one can choose your thoughts, but you. If you uncover a thought and a feeling that doesn’t feel good in your life, you can decide if you want to keep them or do you want to think and feel something different. 
5. Choose your thoughts wisely. Now that you realize that your thoughts create your feelings then you can keep or discard your thoughts. To get rid of a thought simply replace it with a new thought.  You may have to write this thought on a sticky note and think it over and over to remind yourself that you are choosing a different thought. 

Your thoughts create your feelings. Decide how you want to feel, find a thought that makes you feel that way….then practice thinking the thought over and over.

Wouldn't it be great if every teacher had a mentor to equip and encourage them in and out of the classroom? That is the goal of the  the Catholic Life Coach Academy. It is an online community for educators to learn how to live their BEST teacher life.