Man, I am exhausted. I’m under a few key deadlines and as I type, my left shoulder is tightening up “into a ball.” I have learned that, when this happens, I need to make a few adjustments in my day to bring more calm and ease. Sometimes that means stepping away from work for the remainder of the day, engaging in a personal wellness practice, or simply “power thru”.
I am choosing to power thru in this moment, because I am 6 days past my deadline and my Director of MarComm, Allison Todd, is waiting on it so she can finish the BMEsTalk newsletter.
Please don’t just me, I gotta do what I gots to do.
That said, before I started typing, I did try a personal wellness practice called Self Holding. Below, I share more about the practice and in this month’s video, I demonstrate it and talk about how I used it during an emotionally heavy moment in the last BMEsTalk Incubator Breakthrough Coaching Session with our cohort of 7 Black Male Educators.
Personal Wellness: Self Holding
What is it?
- It’s an exercise in which a person uses their own sense of touch to provide a sense of calm, centeredness and safety.
How does it apply to Black Male Educators?
- Instructional leaders from classroom teachers to administrative staff face stressful situations on a daily basis that can cause an increase in feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and out of balance.
Why might Black Male Educators use this practice?
- Practicing self-holding can support us in relieving/releasing stress and bringing ourselves back to a state of “calm alertness”.
