Description: This week, Dr. Boogren calls on the Squad to be more purposeful with how they start their day. Reap the rewards of joy.
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Transcription: Hi, and welcome to episode four of season four of Self-Care for Educators. I'm your host, Tina Boogren. This week's invitation is to think about your morning routine. You've been in school for a little while now, some of you longer than others, but you have any morning routine, whether, whether it's a routine you like or not at this point, most likely you've got a routine that occurs in the morning. And, I want you to spend a little time reflecting on that, and I want you to think about, do you have something that's part of your morning routine that helps to elicit positive emotions? I always share the research at the beginning of any workshop that I do that reminds us that our positive emotions are really, really, really important. Not just for our mood, but actually for our thinking, that those positive emotions actually make our thinking more creative, flexible, inclusive, and integrative. And, what's so unique about our job is that we don't have a job where we show up and like ease into the day. No, no. You are on the minute that you walk into your building, probably you're on in the parking lot even, or you turn down a a certain street and you gotta start waving at folks. You are on.
And, because we know that emotions are contagious and you as the leader of your classroom or building or department, whatever your situation is, you know, you bring those emotions that then get mirrored back to you. And, part of thinking about how we support our students and our colleagues is thinking about, we want and need everyone's brain to be at a positive state so that they can learn and they can grow. And, we have so much responsibility when it comes to that and it starts with us. So, that's why I want you to think about your morning routine and how you get your day started. Is there part of that routine that elicits positive emotions for you? So, maybe it's savoring your first sip of coffee. Maybe you even take that cup of coffee, and you go sit in the sunshine for a minute, or maybe the sun's not out yet. I realized you just go sit outside or look outside. Maybe it's listening to music. You can put that amazing playlist that you created last week into play and use that as a way to elicit positive emotions in the morning.
Maybe it's allowing yourself just a couple extra minutes to do something that feels really good. Read a couple pages of a book or do a little bit of journaling. Reach out to someone. Spend a second just kind of getting, getting ahead of your day and writing down your to-do list with the biggest things that you want to tackle, and maybe putting something on that list that you've already done so that you can cross it on your off your list, and that feels pretty positive. Whatever your thing is, do it. Right? Find your thing, do it, commit to it. And, if you don't have a thing, play around with some different things this week. Or, even if you already do have a thing, maybe you try something new this week. See how good you can actually feel as the day gets started. You have control of your morning and as we've always, always talk about, you know, a morning routine actually starts the night before, so you might have to go to bed a little bit earlier, whatever your rhythm is.
But, I just want you to think about your morning, how you feel currently. I ... And, if you feel good, lean into that. Ask yourself could you feel any better? And, if you're currently just feeling really rushed in the morning and not very calm and not very centered, and kind of showing up feeling scattered and whoof a little bit, a little frenzied as the day gets started, what could you do to kind of slow yourself down and find those positive emotions? Maybe you ask other people about their morning routine, do some just kind of informal interviews, asking students, asking your colleagues, asking your own friends and family members ... Like what do you do in the morning to get yourself going? 'Cause maybe there's something you haven't even thought of that feels like something you wanna try on this week and experiment with that. I'm gonna be doing that too this week.
As many of you know, I do ... I absolutely listen to music in the morning. I used to watch the news 'cause I thought that's, you know, what adults were supposed to do and just figured out very quickly that's a terrible way to start my day. It's always bad news. Somehow the news finds me. I just, I wanna be in control of when that news comes to me. So, for me, it's absolutely listening to music, but I'm gonna challenge myself too this week to think about what else might I add and consider, as I think about I ... Gosh, creating a morning routine that I actually am excited about when I go to bed the night before. Can you imagine if we were actually excited about the morning, especially if you're not a morning person? Like, I am not a morning person, but if we had something that we really, really looked forward to in the morning. Ooh, that's a good way to start the day. Right? So, that's what I want you to think about this week. I want you to think about your morning routine, and I want you to specifically incorporate something that elicits those positive emotions for you. Hmm. If you feel like it, maybe jump on over to the Facebook group and share, so we can gather ideas with each other.
As I think most of you know, but just in case, we have a really, really great Facebook group. You just search Self-Care for Educators and you'll see, you'll see my picture, Tina Boogren, and you'll see a whole bunch of goodness from some amazing educators sharing ideas, thinking, thinking about ways to elicit our own positive emotions and really, really sink into being our very best selves. Make it an amazing week.
As always, a huge thank you to Brooke for making this happen. Thank you to Marzano Resources and Solution Tree for supporting me in this work that means so much to me. And, to you, my bad-ass Self-Care Squad. I'm cheering so hard for you as we really get this school year underway, and I hope that these small little invitations are starting to add up and you're feeling good as you get to this part of the new school year. Feel my hand on your back and know I'm cheering so hard for you. Make it an amazing, amazing week.
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