Feeling Scattered

Feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to do at school? This short guided meditation with intentional music gives you permission to stop, breathe, and step out of the mental whack-a-mole for a few minutes. Instead of pushing through the chaos, you’ll take a brief pause to gather your energy, clear your thinking, and reconnect with yourself before getting back to your day.
Part of the Radical Rest for Teachers collection, this practice was created specifically for educators.
Perfect for: teacher overwhelm, feeling scattered, a chaotic school day, too much to do, mental overload, teacher stress, productivity, refocusing, quick reset, taking a pause, overwhelmed teachers, busy teachers
Background Music By: James Anthony Walker, "Serenity", from the album Watercolor Washes

Transcript

Hi there, My flustered teacher friend. Congratulations on discovering the secret code for internal chaos. Pausing for a moment and breathing. Pausing a day that's filled with so much to do can feel completely counterproductive. But maybe this scenario sounds familiar to you. You grade a few papers, Then you straighten the desks, Then you remember you need to prep something for later, Only to remember that you started an email you haven't finished. So you end up playing whack-a-mole with your tasks rather than really getting much accomplished. You push your scattered brain so much, It starts to feel like that exploding brain emoji. The best thing I have ever found to counterbalance the chaos inside me is what we're going to practice together. If you ever want a quick reset in your school day, This is it. It's that powerful. Stop and breathe. Here's how it works. As soon as I notice I'm feeling unraveled with all of my tasks, I literally stop in the middle of whatever I'm doing, Close my door, And I sit down. I set my phone timer for two to four minutes so I don't have to manage my time or stress about how long it's been if I end up wanting to close my eyes. Then I breathe. Three times in through my nose and out through my mouth. Those intentional breaths give me a moment to slow down and let my body know that it's okay to pause. So let's try this practice together for just the next few minutes. I'll keep an eye on the time so you don't have to. Place your hands in your lap. Roll your shoulders back and let them rest. Take an inhale in through your nose. And exhale out your mouth. Deeper inhale in through your nose. And exhale out your mouth. Last big inhale, Filling your lungs. And pushing your air out all the way. If you need a few more of those breaths, Take them. And when you're ready, Allow yourself to come back to a more natural breath. For this next minute, Listen to the music and envision that this is just what you need to collect your energy and clear your thinking. If your thoughts start to drift back to your to-do list, Or what you feel like you should be doing instead, Take a conscious breath and imagine feeling your energy gathering itself back together. Take another moment to just be, Rather than do. Begin to notice how you feel. If you lowered your internal chaos by even a few notches, That's the whole point. Small actions in our day can help us feel supported within our own body. Take a moment to return your awareness to the space around you. Maybe stretch a little. Feel empowered that you took the time to pause, Breathe, And care for yourself rather than just pushing through the day. Whenever you need a moment like this to breathe. I'll be right here for you.