What’s Left?


You can’t pour from an empty cup!   ~unknown

Last week I was talking to a friend, also an educator/administrator and she was overwhelmed at work, but pushing through what would be one more grueling week before the much needed break.  I asked her what she was doing to take care of herself.  She had no answer. 
I simply told her what we all know to be true as educators.  “You can’t pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first.”
In life we know that taking care of responsibilities comes before taking care of ourselves.  It shouldn’t be that way, but it often times is.  In work, many people have the same perspective. 
Education is no different, but it morphs into an extreme form of “self-neglect” termed “burn out”. 
Pouring from or attempting to pour from an empty cup is dangerous because when there isn’t anything left to give, you begin to borrow from an unavailable place. 
Self-care is the most essential aspect of teaching because it promotes a sense of maintenance that is unmatched.  I encourage each of you to take a moment and look at one part of your day that could be spent focusing on something other than work.  If you are not sure when that is, carve out these moments. 
Never be ashamed to spend a day doing nothing during a break or holiday.  Many times that “nothing” is the exact thing you need to recharge or reboot.  Education is a difficult journey because as students borrow pieces of our heart, it has the potential to leave us in pieces.  Work diligently on refilling your cup!