End of the semester
Congratulations on reaching the end of the semester! This upcoming break and holiday season are unique. They come with a mixture of relief and stress as we explore ways to recharge and stay connected while also taking steps to reduce our risk of getting COVID-19.
This post will focus on ideas you can use to develop an intentional plan for promoting well-being in your life as you close out the year. I invite you to identify the activities that resonate with you. Approach this with a a beginner’s mind, exploring to learn what works best for you. Think of it as an experiment from which you will learn more about yourself, rather than processing the outcome as a success or failure.
You can complete these exercises in a way that works best for you:
Watch the video below, or read the written prompts that follow
Use an audio recorder on your phone, a document on your computer, or a journal or sheet of paper to record your responses
Video
Written
Reflect Back on the Semester
Take a moment to breathe, and observe how you feel now that the semester is coming to a close. Acknowledge your feelings, without judging them.
PAUSE
Reflect on what you need right now, and identify one step you can take to address your needs.
What is one thing that you learned about yourself this semester? Identify something that makes you proud (Being strong enough to get through the semester counts!)
Create a plan for self-care over the Winter Break
If you have not already, take time to create your self-care plan by following steps 1-4 of the Self-Care Starter Kit, available free of charge through the University of Buffalo School of Social Work here: http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/developing-your-self-care-plan.html
There are four components to this plan, we will focus on Step 3:
Lifestyle Behaviors
Self-care assessment
Maintenance self-care plan*
Emergency self-care plan
Acknowledge any steps you have taken to put your plan into action.
As a refresher, there are six types of self-care listed in this plan: physical, emotional, psychological, relational, spiritual, and professional. For example, I chose to focus on spiritual care. Each morning, I do a 15-20 minute routine that uses several different apps to lead me through meditation and devotion. Then, I try to step outside to visit my garden or exercise. This helps me to connect with nature and get out of my own head.
2. Identify ONE thing you would like to do differently.
Using an example from my own plan, I chose to address psychological self-care. I often end up using the phone at night, which makes it difficult to relax. I am setting a first small step for myself: to try not to use my phone after 8am. Once I achieve that, I would ultimately like to establish a few set times during the break that I will not connect to email or social media. I like to think of it as giving my mind an opportunity to relax and recharge.
Complete your answers to these reflections, focusing on what is most important for you. For example, if you would like to spend more time nurturing important relationships (relational self-care), you might take steps to ensure that you are proactive in connecting with friends and loved ones over the break (e.g. setting up calls).
Prepare for the Upcoming Term
Now that you have reflected on your lessons learned from the past semester, apply this to how you would like to approach the upcoming term. Think about how you would answer the following questions:
Thinking about factors that are under your control, what is one thing you can you do to help ensure that you have a successful Spring semester?
What is ONE thing you can you do to help promote your health and well-being, which will serve as the foundation for success? Use your self-care plan as a reference.
Keep in mind, taking steps to promote your health and well-being will allow you to sustain your efforts over time.
As an educator, I am mindful that it can be difficult to recover from the current semester with thoughts of the next term just around the corner. I, like you, am trying to find ways to slow down and breathe, while not ignoring the tasks that seem to pile up with no end in sight. With this in mind, I have created a list of specific items to help you transition out of this semester and prepare for the term ahead. Access the tip sheet that best describes your role below:
Student: SemesterTransitionTips.Students
Staff/Management: SemesterTransitionTips.Staff
Faculty: SemesterTransitionTips.Faculty
How will you care for yourself as you transition between semesters? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section below!
