But my mind is already full

​How much coffee have I had this morning? Or this week? Or this year? Goodness gracious probably enough to fill the Yellow Sea or at least a couple of bathtubs. Have I worked out this week? There are grades to enter and lessons to plan. How did I end up on some many committees? Does a spoon full of peanut butter count as dinner? 

These questions illustrate the routine of my life recently. As a teacher and a parent, I don't often think about taking the time to care for myself. The past week or so I have gotten home and fallen into bed (the other day I fell asleep with all my clothes on). I am resolving to take better care of me. As the saying goes, you can not pour from an empty cup. 

If you don't know me, I am a planner (I am a nerd that way). So I have made a self-care plan to ensure (hopefully) that I am taking care of me. This plan includes time for practicing mindfulness. For the past few years at QISS teachers have been learning about mindfulness, but I have not been consistent with my mindfulness practice. I have downloaded the app HeadSpace. The goal is a streak of 30 days using the app to practice being more mindful. I would also like to start implementing some mindfulness practices with my students to help them learn more about self-care. The students I teach often perform at such a high level that they forget to do things like sleep and eat a proper meal. 
Check back to see how my students and I are doing on this mindfulness journey.