June 2024

We all know what the beginning of June means – planning and preparing for the end of this year and the start of the coming year. This is all essential work. It’s a time when we reflect on what we accomplished and consider our goals and plans for the coming school year.

The time between the end of the school year and the start of the next offers some time to recharge, recalibrate and reflect. It’s a time we all look forward to, but increasingly we’re hearing from BC Education Leaders that they aren’t experiencing the same beneficial recharge from summer they have in the past. Here are a few tips to make the most of your summer recharge!

1. Pause

When was the last time you really hit the pause button? It’s so common for us to go from the frenetic intense pace of the school year to a frenetic intensely paced summer. We swap out work for a jam-packed summer of commitments and ‘fun’ activities, but we end up feeling exhausted at the end of the summer. A ‘pause’ can be a larger pause, slowing down, creating of space in your life. But it can also be integrated daily on a smaller scale. Make some time to press pause. Maybe you spend 5 minutes in the morning sitting with a hot coffee and reflecting (no phone, no screen, no book, no to-do list).

What do you mean, ‘pause’???
The pause is a simple intentional act of consciously slowing down. The benefit of a pause is to activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps our body and mind become calm. A calm body and mind allow us to reduce our reactivity and be more intentional with our responses to what is happening around us.

A simple 5-min pause between activities can make a huge difference in our capacity to calm our body, and our mind and be more intentional in our responses to the world around us.

2. Play

Educators know that play is a powerful and important aspect of child development. Play is healthy! In adulthood, play offers crucial benefits including stress relief, improved brain function, relationships, and creativity.

Enhancing play in our lives offers the opportunity to shift away from obligation, enhance our capacity to cope with stress and infuse our lives with this fun addition to our health and wellness plans.

What do you mean by ‘play’???
Play is simply an activity that is amusing or recreational, that we enjoy and that brings us joy.  Find something that brings you joy and create

some space to engage in this activity. Your version of ‘play’ may be different than someone else but aim for things that are joyful and exciting to you.

3. Power Up

Anyone who spends time around kids can probably recognize the term ‘power-up’ from video games. In video game worlds, a power-up is an object or activity that offers the player’s character (think: Mario and a super mushroom) temporary benefits, energy, extra abilities or ‘lives’ (the ability to continue playing the game longer even if something injures you). The power-up enhances the character’s ability to carry on, to keep doing its mission and to remain healthy.

Humans need power-ups too.

In some games, a strategy can be to gather up as many power-ups as you can carry to have available when you need them. In other games, you are limited to a certain number of power-ups you can hold on to at one time. Either way, power-ups offer you great benefits to your capacity to ‘stay in the game.’

Perhaps this summer can be an opportunity to gather up some power-ups. Both ones you will use right away to build your strength, capacity and resilience and perhaps others you will retain for use when you need them most.

A real-life example of a power-up might be:

• Improved sleep patterns

• Spending time in nature or gardening

• Playing

• Exercise

• Nutrient-dense food

• Indulging in a good (for pleasure) book

• Going on a trip

Consider your power-ups and use them as you need them this summer. Consider what power-ups you’re going to bring with you into the next school year for a sustained game play!

Wishing you a playful summer!

We are always here for you in the BCPVPA EIP Program if you would like some support and guidance in developing and maintaining your personal wellness plan this summer and as you turn your mind to next year.

With respect and admiration,

Darby Barnes
Rehabilitation Consultant
Humanworks Consulting Group Inc.

Darby is a registered clinical counsellor who describes her work calling as “caring for people who care for people” and has worked supporting leaders and workers in complex human serving

 ystems (health care and education) for over a decade. She specifically supports educators and education leaders and finds deep joy and honour in her work.

 

The Humanworks EIP column appears in

BCPVPA’s eNews the first Friday of each month.