Teacher Thrive: Episode 53: How to Re-energize Yourself This Summer

Free Guides:

Examine your Thoughts

Who Are You, Really? 12 Prompts to Create Self-Awareness

Thoughts That Build Resilience

Weekly Time Blocking Planner

Boundary Setting Cheat-Sheets

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Connect with the hosts:

Madel Mazzella:

Instagram: ⁠@madelmazzella

TikTok: ⁠@madelmazzella⁠

Website: madelmazzella.com

Kaitlyn Rapai:

Instagram: @the_teacher_burnout_coach

TikTok: ⁠@kaitlyn_rapai_coaching⁠

Website: ⁠kaitlynrapai.com⁠

• Many teachers feel like they are in a mental slump in the summers. We feel lazy, unmotivated, and sometimes even depressed. The lack of structure has us procrastinating and leaving things for later.

• There are so many things we say we cannot wait to do in the summer, but oftentimes, summer comes and goes without us completing or doing what we said we were going to do.

• We lose motivation because we don’t HAVE to do it.

• Below are some strategies to combat falling into a slump in the summer:

• Structure your days. Create a calendar that includes rest and play so completing tasks doesn’t become burdensome.

• Anticipate obstacles. We know ourselves better than anyone, and we know what excuses work best to prevent us from having a desired outcome. We can decide ahead of time what we’ll tell ourselves or what we’ll do when we don’t want to do it. If it’s working out we can trick our brain to say we can do anything for 10 minutes. We could also use Mel Robbins’ famous countdown from 5, and jump up to do the activity when we reach number 1. We can do any strategy that get us to doing the thing when we’re not motivated.

• Have an accountability partner. This could be a good idea depending on our style since so often we tend to honor the commitments we make to others before honoring our own. Having someone to check in and hold us accountable could get us started creating the habit.

• Celebrate all the wins as frequently as possible with small nudges of acknowledgements. Rewarding ourselves trains our brain to continue doing more of what made us feel successful.

• Write down your goals every day. Set intentions for the day - ask yourself: How do I want to feel today? What do I want to accomplish? Why do I want to do X? What are my priorities today? … Writing down our goals and intentions guides the brain to think the thoughts that will lead to the actions we must take in order to do anything.

Original Music by: Matthew Dotson

Cover Art by: Nate Rapai

[Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any educational institutions or organizations. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The hosts are not licensed therapists and their opinion does not substitute the advice of a physician or other qualified professional]