Conquering Criticism Ep. 45

January 3, 2024 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Conquering Criticism S. 3 Ep. 45

Listen to this episode to stop fearing your critics and conquer criticism!

Show notes:

The following is a summary of this episode. To experience the entire show, please listen to the episode.

Episode Summary:

Fear of criticism can be a powerful deterrent in our lives. Do you have a fear of failure? Are you afraid to let your real ideas and preferences known? Do your fears of what people will think ever hold you back from living a life you want to live? If any of these things are true, you might have a fear of criticism. Today, we’re talking about how to cope with and conquer criticism.

In this episode:

Fear of criticism is powerful because the criticism doesn’t even actually have to occur for the fear to set in. Just the memory of past criticism or the potential that people will not like or understand us is enough to shut us down.

Perfectionism is one sign of fear of criticism.

Many of us fear criticism. Nobody likes being criticized, but some people have people have a particularly strong fear around it.

According to thought leader and marketing guru Seth Godin, people aren’t afraid of failure. What we are really afraid of is criticism. We choose not to try new things, launch new initiatives, or say something remarkable or audacious because we worry that we will be called out. We worry that someone will hate our ideas. We don’t want to be laughed at or to feel foolish if someone remarks on something we have done.

You may have had a negative experience like that, and it changed your future behaviors.

That is why we are often afraid to step out of the box, to put new ideas into the world and to express our true feelings.

Fortunately, you can overcome fear of criticism.

Let’s look at some of the issues around fear of criticism and how we can overcome them.

Fear of criticism keeps you from sharing your ideas.

Have you ever been in a class or a workplace situation where a question or idea was shot down? Chances are, you learned not to speak up because you might get knocked down as well.

Holding back is sometimes safer than opening yourself up to possible criticism. We may not give our most genius selves to the world, but neither will we allow the world to crush us.

At work, this often shows up as not speaking up and sharing our ideas. Have you ever been at a faculty meeting and withheld a thought or idea?

We don’t want to be told, “that’s a stupid idea,” or “that will never work,” or “we tried that already and it didn’t work.”

It is a safe choice. It also keeps your unique ideas from getting into the world.

The next time you are hesitating to speak, take a few minutes to answer these questions:

Could my ideas offer something of value?

If you are thinking them, there is something there. Let it out into the world. Not everything will stick, and that is okay.

What is lost if I don’t speak up?

If it matters, it is worth bringing up your idea.

What if they don’t like my ideas?

If people don’t like your ideas, that’s fine. You can’t please everyone. If they question your ideas, you know they heard you. You know you said something worth remarking on.

What is the worse that could happen?

You might find that the worst thing that could happen is that someone will disagree with you or won’t like your idea. If that is the case, could you live with that? Usually, the answer is yes!

You worry about what people think.

This thought likely comes from someone saying this phrase to you as a child. It was meant as a reproach, as a way to stop you from doing or saying something. You may even have used this phrase yourself.

Why are we so afraid of what people think? Do we really care what they think? Sometimes, the answer should be no.

Too often, we worry about what people we don’t even know will think. Have you ever put on a clean shirt to go to the grocery store? Do you really care what the cashier thinks? Will they even notice?

Asking this question can be very liberating.

What other people think about us is none of our business.

That is an audacious and bold statement, and you may disagree. It takes confidence to let go of worrying about what other people think. After all, you can’t control what someone else thinks.

Sometimes you are your own worse critic.

External critics aren’t our only worry. Many of us also have a strong inner critic running rampant in our own head. Our inner critic is responsible for stopping us from doing many of the things we want to do.

It is easy to stop yourself from doing something. What if it doesn’t work out? What if they don’t get it? What if they think I am a narcissistic, raving lunatic?

Ask yourself what benefits you will get from whatever it is you are afraid to do. If the benefits outweigh the risks, it is worth a chance.

Tell that bully in your head to go away.

Then, commit. Believe. Go all in.

Reframe criticism as feedback.

Sometimes what we perceive as criticism is meant to help us, not to reprimand us.

Learn to listen to feedback without becoming angry or defensive. Even if you don’t agree with the feedback and didn’t invite, it might be an opportunity for growth or development. Ask yourself, “what can I learn from this?”

You might want to check out podcast episode 44, Finding Optimism in Silver Linings where we talk about finding the good in negative circumstances.

For example, put yourself into the shoes of a student. We are giving students feedback all day every day which they could easily interpret as criticism even if that is what we didn’t intend. Give ourselves the same expectations that we have for our student.

Don’t take everything so personally.

It is easy to take criticism to heart. It feels like a personal attack. It bruises our ego, which feels threatening.

Sometimes criticism is not about you. You don’t always know what someone else is going through. Maybe they are having a bad day and just need to vent, and you were the person in front of them.

The curt email from the principal might mean that she is super busy, not that she is upset with you.

Your friend didn’t text you back? She’s not mad at you, she just hasn’t seen it or she got interrupted before responding.

Discern if the criticism is worth your time and energy.

First of all, you listen. Then you analyze. It is true? Is it valid? Is it helpful? Is it for your improvement?

If it is worth listening to, act on it, if not, let it go.

Conclusion

We leave you with this quote for today from Aristotle, “There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.”

That’s no way to live. Instead, dare to be above average, original, and unique.

Recap:

Fear of criticism can cause us to hold ourselves back and play small. When you avoid doing things that potentially cause you to be criticized, you are also withholding something value from the world. Use criticism as an opportunity for learning, and recognize that it is not always about you. You can conquer fear of criticism!

Quote:

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.”

Aristotle

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Godin, S. (2008). Tribes: We need you to lead us. New York: Penguin Group.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Inspired together Teachers podcast episode 44 Finding Optimism in Silver Linings

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Build Your Star System of Support E. 20

July 12, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Build Your Star System of Support S.2 Ep.20

Listen to this episode to learn why you need a star system of support and how teachers are better when they work together.

Show Notes:

Good bye dream team- hello star system! In this episode we’re going to describe why the superstar teacher is a myth. You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Teaching today is tough and we need more than a dream team. What we need is an entire constellation because together, we can all shine more brightly.

You’ve probably heard of or used the phrase “dream team” or better yet, you actually work with a dream team! We all need a system of support in our lives. Today, we are going to expand our idea of support. But first, let’s talk about the superstar teacher. Maybe you are one, or you know one, or you wish you were one.

The solo, inspirational, hero, teacher is a myth.

American Society teaches us that it is our individual efforts that help us to thrive. We love a good hero story. We revere story of the struggling person who pulls him or herself up by their bootstraps and achieves great things. We covet being the best- the top of the class, the fastest on the team, and honor the individual pursuit of excellence.

In school, we are judged and graded on our individual work. Yet in life, our success is often interconnected with that of others.

We’ve seen the myth of the individual hero in teaching. Our favorite teacher movies honor the solo teacher who works hard and through their personal efforts, often a great sacrifice to their personal life, changes a student, a class, or an entire school. The stories are inspiring, but often, not realistic.

These teacher movies focus on the lone teacher and things they do to inspire their students and bring about change.

What you don’t see is all the other people behind the scenes, sharing the load and helping that teacher. Let’s face it, it might not make for a good movie, but it is the way things work in the real world.

There are huge benefits in working together.

In his book Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises our Achievement, Happiness and Well-being Shawn Achor busts the myth that we achieve our best through our solo work as we work hard and strive for success.

Achor’s research suggests that we need to stop trying to do everything alone.

Here are some key findings:

Working together allows us to find more energy, share resources, and lessen our stress. Those are three HUGE problems teachers today face.
We are also smarter together. We are stronger and more creative. We are also more resilient.
Strong teamwork is even connected to measurable better health.
When we work together, we not only raise the performance of the group, but we also increase our own potential.

Strong teamwork leads to better success and more personal happiness.

Teachers need the benefits of working together.

Teachers today are desperate to reduce stress and increase resilience. Resilience grows when you have a strong support system of people who believe in you. Another reason is that teachers need more time and energy and a better balance in home and work lives. We can accomplish more if we work together and share the work.

Being surrounded by people who will lift you up is a game changer. The more people we have to share stress and offer solutions, the lighter our personal load will be.

“The more you help people find their light, “Achor says, “ the brighter you both will shine” (p.18).

Achor also says, “We all have the power to make others better. And when we commit to using that power, there is no limit to what we can accomplish” (p. 54).

You may have heard or used the phrase “dream team.” Achor calls this system of support a “star system.”

Achor’s research consistently shows one strong conclusion:

“You can be a superstar; you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system, a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.” (p.68).

In work and life, Achor shares, the way to win is to create a star system, a group of people whose members “assist each other, carry each other on their shoulders, and make each other better” (p.68).

How can you build a star system of support?

Recognize the talents and gifts of yourself and your colleagues.

We each have talents and gifts. It is easy to take our own talents for granted. We think, if I can do something easily, everyone must be able to do it easily. In reality, others struggle with things that come naturally to you. Likewise, others do naturally what you struggle to do.

Recognize what it is that you do well. Do you relate well to students? Do you have a great sense of humor and use it effectively in your classroom? Are you very organized? Do you connect well with parents? Do you use technology successfully?

How can you help a colleague by using your strengths? Look for appropriate times to share your special knowledge or skill with others.

Do you know the strengths and gifts of others at your school?

Respect the various strengths that each person brings to the group. If someone likes to keep the conversation focused, assign them the role of group facilitator. If another person has a strength with organization, allow them to prepare the materials for the meeting and handle follow-up contacts.

Take time to learn the strengths each person brings to your school. Then, embrace and build upon those strengths.

You can also create a star system by finding shared dreams and vision.

It is easy to see the ways we are all different. If we focus only on our differences, it is difficult to build community.

Look beyond the differences with your colleagues. There are human attributes you share. Perhaps you are all working to help a particular student achieve. Perhaps you share the vision of how to transform your school. Perhaps you are united in the face of a district challenge.

When we look past our differences and into our shared dreams and vision, we can use that synergy to help us create better classrooms and schools.

Imagine what the world would be like if we saw everyone, no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, ability, religion or political beliefs, as a co-creator of a shared dream. The world would be a better place.

Brene Brown says, “It’s hard to hate people close up.”

Finally, you can create a star system by being intentional about and not feeling guilty about sharing the work.

Just like you can’t look at one person and say “that’s a dream team”, you can’t look up in the sky and see one star that makes up an entire constellation. It is a group effort. Even if one person has to shine a little brighter at one time or another, each person is still a part of something bigger, it has to be a group effort.

Recently a team member on the women’s Belgian track team was injured. The team risked getting disqualified from an important meet. A shot putter agreed to take one for the team and ran the hurdles. She was not a hurdler, and actually stepped over the hurdles rather than jumping over them. Her efforts, even though she came in last, kept the team from being disqualified and actually gave them two points towards the final score.

When we share our talents, find a shared dream or vision, and share in building greatness in our school, we are using our community to help us thrive.

How can you create your own personal star system of support?

We all need different types of support. find people who can support you in the following ways:

Someone who cheers you on

Someone who you can confide in

Someone who can mentor you

Someone who motivates you

Someone who stretches you

Someone who brings fun

Someone who believes in your dreams

Someone who loves you unconditionally

Know that in true reciprocity, you are also likely performing these same roles for others in your life.

Your system of support is important, now more than ever.

We end this podcast with a comment sent to us by a teacher. We included it in our book, The Inspired Teacher’s Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. Our book is full of quotes and advice from teachers. Here’s a shout out to Dani Way-Lawler, a high school special education teachers for her quote:

“Find your Teacher People and love them hard. Teaching is hard and wonderful all at the same time. No one can do it alone. Find those people who will cry with you, let you vent, laugh with you, help turn crazy ideas into reality, support you, build you up and celebrate victories with you. Hold them tight. They are the ones who will tell you that you can do it, even when you don’t think you can.”

You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Find your people and together you can create a star system of support.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well Being by Shawn Achor

13 Inspiring Teacher Movies

Quote:

Shawn Achor

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Real Self-Care Ep.16

June 14, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 5 Comments

Real Self-Care S. 2 E.16

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can stop using faux self-care practices and start making choices that will create real self-care and more authentic living.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

Have you ever been frustrated by self-care? Maybe you can’t find the time to indulge in a yoga class or journaling or meditation. Or maybe you can’t afford a spa day, a massage or even a latte. Do you indulge in self- care only to find that it feels good for a moment, but you quickly wind up stressed once again? Some of these things MIGHT be real self-care for you, but what does that look like? How do you know if it is real-self care?

In today’s episode were going to talk about real self-care.

In this episode:

We hear it all the time, we should be practicing self-care.

We’ve tried them all…yoga, meditation, journaling, practicing gratitude, coffee drinks, scented candles, bubble baths or steam showers.

And then there are luxury sheets, organizational systems to organize your home or classroom, and gorgeous planners with beautiful quotes and inspirational stickers.

These are all self-care things that make you feel good for a few minutes. There is nothing wrong with them. They can help us cope and help us deal with our stress.

Many self-care strategies give us the illusion of control- or the illusion of relaxation. But at the end of the day, they are helping us deal with the symptoms of our exhaustion and burnout and stress- not the cause of it. It is like continually takin aspirin for a headache and never trying to figure out why you have a headache in the first place.

And to make it even worse- if you can’t manage to get enough self-care in with your ever growing to-do list it feels like one more failure.

Have you ever felt stressed over your self-care activities?

Self-care can cause a lot of guilt because we feel like if it isn’t working, we are to blame.

Faux self-care

Self-care has become an industry. It is a product to be marketed and sold. It is everywhere.

Instagram has dozens of self care hashtags #selfcare has 73 MILLION posts.

Clearly we are look for self-care help.

In her book Real Self-Care, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin discusses the self-care problem. We have massive focus on self-care and thousands of products available to help. And yet is doesn’t seem to be working.

Dr. Lakshmin describes the current state of self-care as faux self-care- self care that is incomplete at best and manipulative at worse.

Dr. Lakshmin compares faux self-care to empty calories- devoid of substance, like a quick sugar high. It feels good in the moment but doesn’t nourish us in the long haul.

Most things we think of as self-care, are really faux self-care. There is nothing wrong with these activities or products- but they are remedies, not the way to fix the problem in the first place.

In her book, Dr. Lakshmin says that real self-care is an inside job. It is different for every person, and once you figure out what YOU need, it changes your self-image, your relationships, your workplace and your community.

What we have to do is stop focusing on the symptoms and focus on the root causes.

Real Self-care

What is real self-care? It’s a verb, not a noun.

It is connected to your internal decision making and the choices you choose to make in your life.

Real self-care allows you to get your needs met- in your relationships, in your family and in your work.

Real-self care brings you closer to yourself and what is most important to you.

Dr. Lakshmin says “Real self-care…is not a one -stop shop like a fancy spa retreat or a journaling app, it’s an internal process that involves making difficult decisions that will pay off tenfold in the long run as a life built around the relationships and activities that matter most to you.”

Real self-care involves …

setting boundaries
learning to treat yourself with compassion
making choices that bring you closer to your true self
living a life aligned with our values

This requires asking some tough questions and making hard choices. It also requires that we examine our relationship with guilt and shame. It is difficult work, and at first, it seems easier just to buy a scented candle.

The biggest question to focus on is why? Why are you choosing a self-care activity? For example, two different people choose to take a yoga class for self-care.

Mandy signs up because her friends are into yoga and she thinks she should get in on it too. She finds that it is an escape from her stressful life for an hour a couple of times a week. It is social, and she likes being with her friends, so she keeps going. When her friends can’t attend, she doesn’t go either. She doesn’t really miss it. She is experiencing faux self-care.

Trisha also takes a yoga class. She goes once a week, but wishes she could go more often. She loves the quiet, contemplation and always leaves feeling deeply nourished. Trisha’s yoga is true self-care.

It is not about the method, the activity or the product you buy, it is about what the experience does for you. One person’s piano practice is painful and boring, another person’s piano practice is fulfilling and life giving.

One person’s candle is a pleasant orange scent. Another person’s candle is the brand her mother always had burning when she came home from school and when she comes home and lights her candle it reminds her of her mom and the happy time they spent after school talking about their day. The scent makes her home feel warm and inviting. It makes her feel calm and relaxed.

Real self-care is less about adding things to your life than about understanding your place in the world and what you need to walk through the world feeling fulfilled.

How do you find what real-self care looks like for you?

Align your actions with your values.

Get in touch with your values. Take a values assessment. Your values are your hearts’ deepest desires. They include descriptions of how you want to live, how you want to interact with the world and how you want to feel when you are with yourself.
Knowing your values helps you eliminate the “shoulds” and focus on what is right for you.
Your values are what is unique about you, they are as unique as your fingerprint.
Holding your values and working within them is always self-nourishing.
When you align with your values, you will be doing fewer things that matter most to other people and more of the things that matter most to you.

If you want to do some activities to help you clarify your values, the book Real Self-Care is full of helpful activities.

Other examples:

A spa experience might not be about the spa treatments. If spending time with people nourishes you, then a spa day with friends might be what you need. The value is spending quality time with the people, not the specific activity.

If you highly value learning and growing, quiet time with a book is self-nourishing.

If you love to learn about new places, travel can be a form of self-care. It is all about asking what does this activity do for me and how is it connected to my values?

Learning to Set Boundaries

Another form of real-self care is setting boundaries.

Consider what you need and want and leave space for that.
You teach people how to treat you by what you allow or don’t allow.
You can let the phone go to voice mail or leave the email for a day. This gives you time to read and reflect, and make thoughtful decisions.
Realize that you do not have to attend everything. Your children do not have to be in every activity.
Recognize that you are not in control of how others feel or they will react. That is theirs to own.
Do not let what others might think of you drive your decisions. Listen to your own heart and your own instincts.
Practice with small things so you can handle the big boundaries.

Dr. Lakshmin says, “Every boundary you set is a reminder that you have agency over how you spend your time and ener

Treat Yourself with Compassion

Real self-care includes treating yourself with compassion.

Self-compassion is the lens with which you view yourself.
We often mistakenly think that compassion comes from the outside when we do good works, it actually comes from the inside.
Sometimes good enough is okay. B or C+ effort is enough.
Be willing to accept help, support, love and kindness.
Rest- you don’t earn it rest- it is a medical necessity.
We all have the inner mean voice that constantly criticizes us. Learn to silence that voice when it is too harsh.

Recap:

True self-care is an inside job. Self-care is not a temporary escape from life’s stresses. It is not a product that you can buy or a place that you can go. Real self-care is different for each of us. We find it by connecting our choices and actions to our values. Real self-care involves making difficult decisions that will pay off in the long run as we build a life around the relationships and activities that matter most to us. When done well, real-self care is empowering.

Quote:

“ Real self-care…is not a one -stop shop like a fancy spa retreat or a journaling app, it’s an internal process that involves making difficult decisions that will pay off tenfold in the long run as a life built around the relationships and activities that matter most to you”

“Self -care is an inside job.”

“Every boundary you set is a reminder that you have agency over how you spend your time and energy.”

Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Real Self-Care (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin, M.D.

Related episodes and blogs:

Inspired Together Teachers podcast episode 6 Set Priorities to Take Back Your Life

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Life E. 12

May 17, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Simple Ways to Improve Your life

Listen to this episode to learn small, simple things you can do to improve your life. Leveling up your life is easier than you think!

Show Notes

Episode Summary:

What if we told you that you could improve your life by doing small, simple things that have a big impact? Leveling up your life can be easier than you think! In this episode we are sharing small things that make a big impact on your life.

In this episode:

Talking Point 1:

In our very first episode we discussed three types of life you can live, the caged life, the comfortable life and the inspired life.

Our goal is the inspired life.

As a teacher, you exist in a world that is full of expectations.You want to help your students while also supporting your family and friends. It is easy to lose yourself, to fill everyone else’s bucket while leaving yours empty.
You deserve to find your own happiness and fulfillment in your life.
It is easy to get stuck in a rut and to accept the ordinary or mundane. That is not where life’s magic happens. Life’s magic happens when you are feeling alive, joyful, and empowered.
What are you doing when you feel most alive and joyous? What gives you the most energy? Consider how you can bring some of those elements into every day in small ways.

Small things, done repeatedly, have the power to make big changes.

A slow trickle of water can create a canyon.
One small rolling rock can start an avalanche.
Choosing to take small actions can build momentum that will help you to continue a journey that will result in increased happiness.
This is not about perfection, it is about small steps that add up to progress.

Talking Point 2:

The following are some suggestions of small, simple things than you can implement to start building momentum towards living your inspired life.

Smile at someone. They will likely smile back. Smiling increases our mood-enhancing hormones and decreases our stress hormones.
Add fruit or cucumbers to your water bottle. You’ll drink more and stay hydrated. Good hydration increases our overall energy and our ability to think clearly.
Text a friend just to say “Hi” or wish them a good day. Positive relationships increase our happiness and even our life expectancy!
Give a compliment- you’ll benefit from a good feeling as much as the recipient.
Look out at a beautiful vista in nature and breathe. You will relax and feel calmer.
Every day, congratulate yourself for one thing that you did well. Success builds more success.
Laugh more. Tell your students a stupid joke. Joke around with a colleague. Laughing reduces stress.
Use the mindfulness feature on your smart phone or watch. It literally takes one minute!

Talking Point 3:

Here are a few more ideas, these take a bit more time or effort, but are worth the investment. We’ve talked more in detail about many of these ideas on this podcast.

Engage in an activity that you love. No time for your favorite hobby? Try spending just ten minutes. Play one song on the piano. Make a sketch. Do a few yoga poses. Read a few pages. Something is always more than nothing and engaging in a passion increases our happiness.
Ask yourself, what is one small thing I could do to care for myself right now? Then do it. If you don’t care for yourself, who else is going to? Like Miley Cyrus sings, “ I can buy myself flowers.”
Make plans to do something fun with a friend. You’ll have something to look forward to!
Spend a few minutes journaling- it helps you to develop self-awareness.
When you feel overwhelmed, get out of your head and into your body. Take a short walk. Immerse yourself in water. Dance in your living room for five minutes. You’ll feel more at peace and calmer.

If you feel stuck, change your routine.

Taking a different route to work, cooking something new, or talking with someone you don’t know well can open up creativity and new ways to solve a problem.
When you feel yourself doubting that you can do something, challenge it. Come up with at least one example that whatever you are doubting is not true. Look at the evidence that proves you can do something. Your experiences in the past will give you strength for the future.
Choose something in your life that is no longer serving you and let it go. This might be as simple as an article of clothing or a household object, or as complicated as a relationship. Letting go of things that no longer serve you will open space for better things.

Recap:

Life is not about perfection. It is about moving in the right direction. You don’t need to up end your entire life to improve your life. You just need to focus on small, positive actions that add up to big momentum.

A special shout-out

We’d like to give a shout out to all of our listeners, Thank you so much for listening, we are grateful to you. We want to particularly note our international listeners, Ghana, Barbados, Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia, Costa Rica, India, Phillippines, Turkey, and others.

We weren’t expecting to find international listeners, but you are very loyal listeners and we are so grateful to you! We’d love to know more about you, drop us an email at inspiredtogetherlearning.com and tell us about yourself and where you are listening from.

Quote:

“I always tell people if you want to know the secret to happiness, I can give it to you in one word: progress. Progress equals happiness.”

Tony Robbins

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Episode 1 The Inspired Life

Blog: 20 Things You Can Do to Make Your Life Better

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Maximize Your Morning Routine Ep. 11

May 10, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Maximize Your Morning Routine

Listen to this episode to learn how you can maximize your morning routine in order to start your day with intention and add ease into your days.

Show Notes:

Episode summary:

Stop the snooze button! Are you ready to kick start your day so that you start with intention, find more calmness and peace, develop more clarity and focus, increase your productivity and even improve your health? It is a tall order, but in this episode we are talking about ways to maximize your morning routine so you can become the person you are meant to be!

You can elevate your life by establishing a morning routine that will help you lower stress, improve your health, gain clarity and purpose, increase focus and productivity and start each day with intention.

In this episode:

Setting the stage

You may already have a morning routine that works well for you, if so, you might be able to refine it with some small new piece. If you don’t have a good morning routine, we might convince you why it is worth it.

Paula and Michele share their morning routines.

Our morning routines help us to find the time and focus to become the people we need to be in order to live the life we want to live. Morning time allows us to have insight and breakthroughs. It helps us to have a deeper sense of balance and more fulfillment.

Why should you establish a morning routine?

In his book The Miracle Morning, author Hal Elrod gives a rationale for starting your day with intention.

How do morning routines improve your day?

You start your day in a calmer way. More calm equals less stress.
You are less likely to be interrupted and can finish things that you might not have time for later in the day.
If exercise is hard for you, you can finished the hardest thing first thing in the morning – no excuses
You may not feel in control at work, but this is something you can control.
You are reminded of what you want your day to look and feel like and you get to experience that on your time and your terms every morning. You will then be more intentional about those goals during the day.

What could your morning routine look like?

exercise or yoga, which brings energy and health benefits
meditation or prayer, stillness which brings peace, contendness
affirmations- remind you of your potential, creates mindset shifts
journaling- helps you set intentions and gratitude
visualizing- inspires you and helps you connect to your goals
reading- teaches you, inspires you, motivates you
goal setting, brings clarity and focus
establishing routines for clothes, food, chores – anything that helps you get out the door in a calmer more efficient way.
You can add a few things into your morning routine or do a total overhaul.

Hal Elrod’s Tips for making the morning routine easier:

Set your intention before bed.
Move your alarm clock across the room.
Brush your teeth, it is an easy and mindless way to start your morning.
Drink a full glass of water. It hydrates you and helps you wake up.
Wear your workout clothes to bed.

If you are willing to go all in- go for it. If you are slower to start and need to experiment- do that. You can adjust your morning routine as you learn and grow.

What is it worth to you to become the kind of person that can live the kind of life you want to live? And what are you willing to do to get it?

Recap:

Establishing a morning routine can help you set you day with intention and grow in clarity, focus and productivity, while lowering stress and overwhelm. How you wake up and start each day can dramatically affect your level of success and satisfaction in your life.

Quotes:

“The place where your greatest discomfort lies is also the spot where your largest opportunity lives.” Robin Sharma

“The average person takes life one day at a time, and has no other purpose beyond merely surviving. Most people just focus on getting through the day, taking the path of least resistance, and pursuing short term, short-lived pleasures along the way, while avoiding any pain or discomfort that might allow them to grow.”

Hal Elrod

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Miracle Morning: The Not So Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life by Hal Elrod

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma

Eat that Frog, by Brian Tracy

Morning Messages: 6 Minutes a Day to the Life of Your Dreams by Michele Vosberg

The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self by Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg

Related episodes/posts:

Podcast Episode 1 The Inspired Life

Blog: Live Your Best Teacher Life

Connect with Inspired Together Teachers:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Inspired Together Teachers Network Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Learning

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

This post uses affiliate links. If you purchase an item through our link, we will receive a small portion of the profit with no extra cost to you. This helps us to pay for the costs of bringing this free podcast to our community.

Conquering Criticism S. 3 Ep. 45

Listen to this episode to stop fearing your critics and conquer criticism!

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

Fear of criticism keeps you from sharing your ideas.

You worry about what people think.

Sometimes you are your own worse critic.

Reframe criticism as feedback.

Don’t take everything so personally.

Discern if the criticism is worth your time and energy.

Conclusion

Recap:

Quote:

Share this:

Build Your Star System of Support S.2 Ep.20

Listen to this episode to learn why you need a star system of support and how teachers are better when they work together.

Show Notes:

The solo, inspirational, hero, teacher is a myth.

There are huge benefits in working together.

Here are some key findings:

Teachers need the benefits of working together.

How can you build a star system of support?

Recognize the talents and gifts of yourself and your colleagues.

Do you know the strengths and gifts of others at your school?

You can also create a star system by finding shared dreams and vision.

Finally, you can create a star system by being intentional about and not feeling guilty about sharing the work.

How can you create your own personal star system of support?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quote:

Share this:

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can stop using faux self-care practices and start making choices that will create real self-care and more authentic living.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

In this episode:

Faux self-care

How do you find what real-self care looks like for you?

Learning to Set Boundaries

Treat Yourself with Compassion

Recap:

Quote:

Related episodes and blogs:

Share this:

Simple Ways to Improve Your life

Listen to this episode to learn small, simple things you can do to improve your life. Leveling up your life is easier than you think!

Show Notes

Episode Summary:

In this episode:

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Share this:

Maximize Your Morning Routine

Show Notes:

Episode summary:

In this episode:

Quotes:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Related episodes/posts:

Connect with Inspired Together Teachers:

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Share this:

Connect with us on Social Media!