4 Ways to Prioritize Yourself and Set Boundaries As a Teacher
By: April Brown
As we embark on a new school year, it’s important to reflect on ways we can prioritize our well-being to experience a more fulfilling life and less burnout. Setting boundaries as a teacher can be hard. But learning how to prioritize yourself is key to your success as an educator, whether you’re working in a school or beyond the classroom.
Teachers are notorious for putting the needs of their students before their own, and while this might seem admirable, it’s important to remember that doing so can lead to personal and professional strain.
Even if you are no longer working in the classroom, it’s important to watch for this pattern in your work as a virtual instructional coach, business owner, curriculum developer, or education writer.
Keep reading to learn more about why setting boundaries as a teacher is important and get our best tips for doing it well.
Why Setting Boundaries Is Healthy
No matter what kind of education job you have, it’s important to set boundaries to ensure that we have time for ourselves outside of teaching or working flexibly in education.
This means being mindful of how often we bring work home and learning to say no when necessary. By setting clear boundaries, we can avoid burnout and maintain a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Avoiding burnout as a teacher is about more than just your mental health. Research confirms that burnout as a negative stress response is a potential risk factor for depression, cardiovascular disease, and other somatic health problems. Prioritizing self-care practices and times to partake in nourishing activities is a critical component of teacher wellness.
4 Tips for Setting Boundaries as a Teacher
Here are some practical tips to help you prioritize yourself and set boundaries in the new school year:
1. Connect with yourself
Tuning into our emotions during times of stress (e.g., heading back to school, navigating unknown and/or challenging contracts, etc.) can be difficult. Although it takes time to cultivate a practice that works for you, becoming more aware of your emotions provides you with important insight into what’s working for you and what needs to change.
Setting boundaries is hard, but this self-awareness will help support you in living a life that feels meaningful to you and aligns with your aspirations. Here are some ways to get started:
Visualize.
Close your eyes if it feels good to do so, alternatively, keep your eyes open and oriented on an object in front of you.
Think about this season of your life, whether that means continuing to work flexibly in education, navigating multiple contracts, or heading back to the classroom.
Pay close attention to body sensations that arise as you visualize the upcoming season.
For example, do you feel heat in your chest? Fluttering behind your eyes? A racing heart? A sense of calm?
Place your hand on your heart, cheeks, or neck for comfort if it feels good.
Take a few breaths here and open your eyes when you are ready.
Reflect on what you noticed. Reflect by journaling, being creative, or recording your feelings on your phone. Remember that “one size doesn’t fit all” and taking time to tune into your inner landscape is a way to prioritize your mental health.
Were any sensations linked to feelings?
What feelings emerged for you?
What wisdom did this practice offer?
Practice recognizing and validating your emotions. This might mean reflecting on body sensations (e.g., buzzing, warmth, tingling, rapid heart rate) that show up before you experience feelings such as frustration, sadness, or anger, or paying close attention to different feelings that emerge before you work or participate in work-related activities.
2. Partake in activities that help you stay regulated.
When we are regulated, our energy level matches the activity level we are participating in. For example, if I’m presenting at a conference, but SUPER sleepy, I will need to find a way to amp up my energy (e.g., go for a walk, splash my face with cold water, or maybe even do some jumping jacks!)
Reflect on some activities that help you stay regulated throughout the week and infuse them into your day. This might include going for a walk for 10 minutes after eating lunch or taking a walk as a family after dinner. You may find that instead of drinking caffeine late at night (making it harder to fall asleep), you decide to take a shower or bath to calm down and then read a book.
Feeling more regulated in your work and home life can help you better handle any challenges that arise and help you stay focused on setting boundaries that protect your peace.
3. Set personal and professional goals
Goal-setting is a way to stay accountable and motivated to achieve the things you want to accomplish, even in the midst of a busy schedule. They’re also a key part of setting boundaries as a teacher.
While professional goals are important, personal goals are also a way to dedicate yourself to moving forward in certain areas of your life (e.g., moving more, unplugging from technology, spending more time with family and friends).
Self-care goals can be infused into your personal goals, and you might include things like:
Read a book for pleasure once per month
Try a new restaurant twice per month
Learn a new hobby by the end of December
Notice my self-talk and shift from negative to positive
Here are some examples to inspire you to create your own. Think about a “big goal” and smaller goals that will help you accomplish your big goal.
4. Set clear boundaries
The key to successfully setting boundaries as a teacher is making sure those boundaries are clear - both to yourself and your colleagues. Setting clear boundaries allows you to prioritize your needs while breaking free of the “teacher as a martyr” myth.
Here are some ways to ensure you have time for yourself and the people you care about this year.
Create a schedule with intention. Plan your day and allocate time for self-care activities. Stick to your schedule as much as possible to ensure you have time for yourself.
Disconnect from work. Set boundaries around technology use and avoid checking emails or work-related messages outside of designated work hours. Give yourself time to unwind and recharge.
Learn to say no. It's okay to say no to additional responsibilities or commitments that will overwhelm you. Remember, your well-being comes first. Get comfortable with the following sentence stems and practice using them in verbal conversations, as well as when writing emails or responding via text.
“Thanks for thinking of me, but I can’t....”
“This doesn’t align with my priorities right now, but thanks for reaching out.”
“While I love this idea, now isn't a good time for me.”
“I would love to in the future, however...”
“This is a great idea, have you thought of asking _____?”
Ready for a Rewarding, Sustainable Career Beyond the Classroom?
Setting boundaries guides us to shape our lives and careers with intention and balance. Sometimes this means exploring new career paths that offer greater flexibility, fulfillment, and alignment.
Ready to get the support you need (and take the guesswork away!) as you prepare to leave teaching and pursue opportunities beyond the classroom?
Educator Forever has helped thousands of teachers like you in prioritizing well-being, setting boundaries, and gaining the clarity, skills, and confidence to pursue flexible careers beyond the classroom. We’re here to help you do the same!
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About the Author
April Brown (M.Ed) is Educator Forever’s Director of Learning and Development and a curriculum coach for the Curriculum Development Foundations and Advanced Curriculum certification programs. In 2015, April began designing curriculum and writing articles for an EdTech company as a side gig while teaching in Placencia, Belize. After having her oldest daughter in 2016, April was eager to use her unique experience teaching and leading in mainstream and alternative settings in the United States and internationally to work remotely while still making a difference in education.
The Educator Forever Network empowered April to leverage her skills as a compassionate disruptor and out-of-the-box thinker to excel as an instructional/well-being coach, adjunct instructor of Trauma Supportive Schools and Mindfulness courses, curriculum developer, and writer for publications such as PBS SoCal, Education.com, and Britannica for Parents. April is an advocate for teachers and students – inside and outside of the classroom. You can find April in rural Vermont spending time with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and charming rottweilers.