If you read my post about the importance of self-care, you know that I am a firm believer that taking care of ourselves is essential to being good counselors. It’s crucial to employ our self-care tactics during the school year, but as school counselors, we get a wonderful gift of time over the summer to refresh and recharge before the next school year.

This summer, I tried to be as productive as I could be {check out how I use the summer to get prep work done for the next school year} while still getting together with friends and family I sometimes am “too busy” to spend a lot of time with when school is in session. I also see a client in a private practice setting once a week, and I teach group exercise classes on the weekends. This left my summer schedule packed with things to do, and even though most of them were good, enjoyable things, I realized halfway through June that I still had not taken much time to take care of myself.

For me, in order to truly care for myself, I needed to get away and spend sometime alone. {That way, the natural caregiver in me wouldn’t be tempted to focus only on everyone around me.} As a result, I decided to travel completely alone for the first time in my life, something that both frightened and excited me. I was able to do exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it, giving my body and mind what they needed.

It was a short trip, only lasting 2 days, but it was a great way to recharge and give myself some needed self-care. So, what did I do on my trip that made me come back feeling so much better? Well, I had the coffee I love every morning, perused several museums, biked around the memorials and monuments, went shopping, saw a hilarious comedy show, read a great book, ate amazing Indian food, took plenty of selfies, and got some much needed sleep in an extremely comfortable king sized bed. Even though those things may sound simple, I felt shiny and new when I returned home 2 days later.

Whether you take a trip, get a massage, meditate, or simply take a few minutes alone every day, please do something to care for yourself before the school year starts. Your mind, body, spirit, and students will thank you for it.

IF YOU’RE IN NEED OF SELF-CARE IDEAS, CHECK OUT THIS BLOG POST BY ELLEN BARD: 45 SIMPLE SELF-CARE PRACTICES FOR A HEALTHY MIND, BODY, AND SOUL.