Summertime Sadness
You say goodbye to your students, the final bus is called, your room is packed away, and the school doors close behind you for the last time of the school year. Your teacher friends are so excited to hit the pool and spend time doing activities with their families. Your non-teacher friends are jealous of your "two month break." For some, the last day of school is bittersweet. For others, it's more sweet than bitter. For you, however, that bitter part may hit you harder. If you experience a sadness in the summertime, which I would not be afraid to call a summer depression, you are not alone.
Teachers' summers are supposed to be great, right? After all, our non-teacher friends think we only do this job for summers off. Everyone is smiling and already having summer fun, but you feel "out of it." When you walked out the door on the last day of school, your sense of purpose, goal setting, structure, and human interaction remained inside the school walls. Without those things that teachers thrive on, it's normal to feel depressed or have anxiety, and it doesn't help that everyone else seems to be enjoying what you find so discouraging.
You deserve to enjoy your summer as much as possible and beat the summertime sadness. So, what can you do about it besides spending your money on retail therapy?
Grow as a professional. - read educational books, attend conferences, join new professional learning networks, create products for TPT, plan for next year, take graduate classes, gain additional certifications, make a website, work summer school, join LinkedIn, watch educational videos or listen to educational podcasts
Enjoy hobbies. - quilt, crochet, read, play sports, scrapbook, practice photography, blog, create pottery, sew, paint, thrift hunt, cook or bake, improve handwriting or calligraphy, journal
Go on an adventure near or far. - travel, visit nearby attractions (zoo, parks, museums, etc.), hike, go to the beach
Do fun activities. - go mini golfing, bowl, do laser tag, try go-karting, visit amusement parks, attend carnivals/fairs/festivals, jump around at a trampoline park, go shopping, do something on the water like rafting or boating, go to shows or concerts
Take time to relax. - catch up on shows and movies, listen to music, hit the pool, sunbathe, go out to eat
Get exercising! - walk around the neighborhood, join group classes at the gym, start a workout routine, go biking
Spend time at a part-time job or volunteer.
Work - tutor, teach online, grocery shop for others, be a nanny, drive for a ride-sharing company, waitress, etc.
Volunteer - hospitals, libraries, senior centers, animal shelters, churches, etc.
Catch up on work around the house. - organize, clean, remodel, redecorate, garden
Learn something new for FUN. - register for non-credit community college classes, watch YouTube videos on a skill of interest
Take care of yourself. - see family and friends, go to doctor appointments, sleep
If you want to do a day of nothing, do it without guilt. If you're like me, though, be careful that you don't get so caught up in doing nothing that you forget to do something and can't break out of your funk. Try to have something to do every day just to get yourself out of the house, even if it's just a trip to the grocery store. Set goals for yourself, and don't be afraid to give yourself structure if you need it to thrive during an otherwise unstructured time.
I am not a therapist; I am just a teacher with summertime sadness trying to turn frowns upside down. YOU can do this. WE can do this. Have a wonderful summer, teacher friend. You earned it.
