JANUARY 2023 TIME FOR SELF CARE.

Hello from the Outreach Schools Student Advocacy Counselors

Kim Turchyn, Crystal Anderson and Judy Livingston

The month of January is dedicated to awareness of Self care. It is hoped that everyone practices self care in their lives daily and if they are struggling to address this need here  are just a few thoughts on this

Well the month is half past, sometimes life feels like it is half past.

For me there is not enough time and then I undertake too many things for too many people. Then I feel like I crash and burn and can’t get up or get things done.
NOW I need to realize I am worth it and to just take time for Self Care just for me. 

What does Self care look like for some it may be hanging out with friends, and for others it may be curling up with a good book. For me, self-care means eating a balanced diet, especially after all the holiday baking and going to bed early when I need to catch up on sleep. Self-care should not leave you drained and exhausted, it should leave you feeling revitalized and with more energy. Check out this self care checklist for some ideas! Self care IDEAS for you

For more resources, you should check out the Self-Care check list page of the NLPS website.

Now you may wonder  what I (Judy from BOS) do just  for me. I actually went to St Paul to shop and met with my adult daughter and her friend and the first stop was Smitty’s. We had brunch and sat for a while and when it was time to leave to shop I panicked. If we leave then we no longer will have intentional conversations with each other. It would not be the same if we left. We stayed for another hour for coffee and conversation. ( the place was not busy so they did not kick us out). This was perhaps the most honest and open conversation I have had in forever. This meant that I did not do other things like answer my cell and if I was at home I would be all over the house doing other things that are really being a part of  the conversation. I did do other little things for me but this was the game changer and I am working on making contact with others that I have neglected and taking the time to be present in the conversations and or the activities. My adult children have seen the difference. 

The next challenge for our teachers and students is exam time and of course the report cards and then subject testing. 

                             Attention Students!!! 

Are you struggling with exam stress? Exams are around the corner….

Here is a link for tips on how to deal with the stress during exam week. I am also available every day if you need fidgets to use during your exams or if you simply want to talk through strategies with your school counselor, teachers  and also the  SST student support is available as well. 

Take a look at this site for more info on ; Exam Stress

If you have any questions, please contact your counselor at your school for support or conversation. We all like to talk and we look forward to getting to know you better. 

Have a great January see you next month