3 Strategies to Optimize My Wellness as a School Leader
Eric from Teacher Fit posed the following question to me: “How do you prioritize your health and wellness in your demanding role as a leader in education?” His question allowed me to reflect on my professional practice concerning the protection of my physical and mental health. I’m thankful that Eric asked me this question because it inspired me to share with readers how I have grown in this area throughout my leadership journey. In this blog post, I will share my top 3 strategies for optimizing my physical and mental health.
Physical Activity:
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I recognized the need to find a way to occupy my time in the absence of people. Everything was shut down, and out of an abundance of caution, social gatherings abruptly ceased. I found myself feeling the urge to increase my workout regimen to maintain my mental peace. I filled a vacant room in my home with workout equipment and created a home gym. I spent multiple hours of the day in my home gym, and over time, I noticed that I looked and felt healthier. I didn’t realize how much being away from people truly affected me mentally. While I had worked out for many years prior to 2020, I didn’t understand the benefits I gained from it until I really needed the peace that working out offered me.
Since then, I have maintained my commitment to being physically healthy by going to the gym and working out 3-4 days a week. Being an educator and school leader is a challenge, and we all must commit to exploring ways to reduce the stress often associated with our profession. I urge every reader to incorporate physical activity into their weekly routine and assess the impact it has on their physical and mental health. My belief is that the benefits will outweigh any potential drawbacks, and you will find yourself increasing physical activity – especially in times of incongruence.
Work Shut-off Times:
Earlier in my career, I used to believe that everything on my to-do list had to be checked off at the end of every day. I vividly remember my time as a School Counselor, writing down my to-do list in a spiral South Carolina Gamecock notebook. I stayed in the office until I checked every item off the list and returned every phone call. I was proud to say that I did that for two years. Although I felt the anxiety of this, especially on days when crisis situations occurred and impacted my schedule, I still felt the need to check every item off every day.
As I matured in my leadership journey, I realized that working until the list was empty took time away from me, my family, and other priorities. It also created more stress than it resolved. As I have been elevated to the Principalship, I now incorporate strategies that help me protect my time and mental health through work shut-off times.
In an effort to maximize my time in the building, I always start my day by listening to something meaningful on my 13-minute commute. I aim to arrive at work an hour earlier than faculty and staff are expected to be there, and students are allowed to enter the building. This allows me to check and respond to emails and take care of other minor tasks that may have been left over from the previous day. In addition to arriving early, I typically stay an hour later than everyone is expected to leave. This gives me time to close out some items that need to be wrapped up before the next day. Whatever is not done typically gets pushed to the next day.
Once I leave the building, I commit to physically and mentally leaving, benefiting not only me but also my family. Of course, situations arise, and phone calls/text messages come in, and I may have to handle emergency situations, but I don’t openly pursue work during these shut-off times. I am also proud to say that I have created a habit of not checking emails before bed and not responding to non-emergency emails on the weekends. I have learned that checking emails before bed creates an unmatched level of anxiety, especially when that email is from an unhappy parent or staff member. Instead of sleeping peacefully, you go to sleep anxious or angry about what was said that you may not agree with. I challenge readers to incorporate work shut-off times and assess the benefits. For some of you, work shut-off times may create anxiety itself, so before you start this process, assess where you are and facilitate this process as slowly or as fast as you need to without creating more stress or anxiety on yourself.
Quasi-Creative:
When I first became an Administrator, I worked at a high school that was committed to establishing an unmatched school brand. I learned very quickly that I had to develop a skill set that was foreign to me, and I needed to channel a level of creativity that I didn’t know I possessed. I began taking photos for the school, and over time, I got significantly better. I learned from some of South Carolina’s best photographers who invested time to teach me what they knew. I publicly want to thank Mr. Joshua and Kelley King for showing me the ropes and helping me refine my photography skills. After learning the basics, I then began taking my photos and using them to create original graphics.
Perry Parks, was at the time the head football coach at the school, and he really inspired me. He created an athletic brand at our school that was truly YEARS ahead of other high schools in South Carolina. He was not only our head football coach but also our lead creative, and he truly inspired me to become a Quasi-Creative, as I often call myself. While Coach Parks, who is now the Wide Receiver Coach at Coastal Carolina University and one of the best in the country, helped me to develop this skill, Kelley King has been my creative mentor and has helped me refine my skill set over the years.
I now regularly engage in what I find to be the best source of peace for me, and it’s oddly photography and graphic design. I create the media for my oldest daughter's high school track team, and it really serves as a reprieve for me. I love to highlight the kids. On days that I’m left feeling incongruent after work, I know I only have to make a short drive to the track to go out and take pictures of the student athletes during practice or at a meet. I’m grateful to bring joy to these deserving student athletes. It brings me joy as well.
These are my top 3 strategies for optimizing my physical and mental health as a school leader. I encourage you to assess what works best for you and to create intentional time to engage in those healthy activities weekly.
Learn more about my journey as a public school educator and leader by visiting TheMillennialPrincipal.org.
