You Gave Too Much

For the days when you realize you gave more of yourself than you had to give. This guided meditation helps teachers gently call their energy back after a day of overextending themselves. Through simple imagery and breath, you’ll gather the scattered pieces of your attention, heart, and energy back to yourself, and then consider one small way to give some care back to you.

Part of the Radical Rest for Teachers collection, this practice was created specifically for educators.

Perfect for: classroom teachers, educators, instructional coaches, school staff, over-giving, teacher burnout, emotional exhaustion, teacher wellness, teacher self-care, protecting your energy, setting boundaries, mindfulness for teachers, releasing stress, coming back to yourself, nervous system support, and recovering from a day of giving too much.

Transcript

Hi there, My overextended teacher friend. You realize that you've given too much of yourself today and you feel depleted. As teachers, Our whole job is about giving. We constantly give our patience, Our care, And a huge amount of effort. So if you've reached the point where you've extended yourself so far that it no longer feels good, I want you to realize something kind of awesome. You noticed that you've given too much and you are looking to shift out of that. And the noticing is sometimes the hardest part. You've been pouring endlessly into the cups of others, And now your own cup is getting pretty empty. You might feel angry inside. Maybe resentful. Or just completely maxed out. Whatever you're feeling is okay. It's good information for you. You've given a lot of yourself today, So now let's care for the person who's been doing all that caring. Because maybe some of those pieces of you are still sitting in the places you left them. In a conversation that didn't go the way you hoped. In your classroom. Or with a student that you're worried about. And for this moment, There's no need to replay any of those events. Instead, Imagine gathering some of those little pieces of yourself back. The part of your mind that's still at school, The part of your heart that's still worrying about someone. The part of you that kept going long after you were tired. Let those pieces come back to you. Back to your mind Back to your heart. Back to your body. You don't have to solve anything or fix anything in this moment. And calling yourself back doesn't mean you're taking away your support or that you're going to stop caring. It simply means that you're coming back to yourself. Take a slow breath in and imagine gathering yourself back to you. As you breathe out, Let go of everything that doesn't need to come with you. Again, Breathe in. Gather yourself back. Breathe out, Release what isn't yours to carry right now. One more time, Breathe in. Come back to yourself. Breathe out. Let the rest go. Now that you've called those pieces of yourself back. I want you to consider doing something simple to honor you. You spend so much of your day filling everyone else's cup. Maybe tonight you can put your own cup to your lips. What could you give to yourself? Think small. Think simple. Could you make yourself some tea and drink it while it's actually still warm? Might you take a 10-minute walk around the block with just your own company? Could you eat something that makes your body feel cared for? Maybe it's something completely different. Just one small thing that says, I do this for myself. You are allowed to receive too, My teacher friend. Taking care of yourself does not mean taking something away from someone else. You don't have to earn it by being exhausted enough or waiting until your cup is completely empty. You can notice sooner when you're depleted. You can pause sooner. You can make small choices that say, I come back to me. You're not selfish. You're a human being who needs care, Too. So thank yourself for noticing. And if you want to spend a little more time with this idea of keeping your own energy safe at school, You might also listen to my talk and meditation called Protect Your Energy at School. But for now, Just take a breath. And go find one small thing you can give back to yourself. I'll be right here whenever you need a reminder that you deserve to receive as well.