Free Guides:

Examine your Thoughts

Who Are You, Really? 12 Prompts to Create Self-Awareness

Thoughts That Build Resilience

Weekly Time Blocking Planner

Boundary Setting Cheat-Sheets

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Connect with the hosts:

Madel Mazzella:

Instagram: ⁠@madelmazzella

TikTok: ⁠@madelmazzella⁠

Website: madelmazzella.com

Kaitlyn Rapai:

Instagram: @the_teacher_burnout_coach

TikTok: ⁠@kaitlyn_rapai_coaching⁠

Website: ⁠kaitlynrapai.com⁠

Exaggerating ideas and thoughts to express how we feel is part of our culture. Sentences such as “Life is so hard” or “I have the hardest job in the world” are expressed often without giving them a second thought. What we may not realize is that those seemingly harmless utterances can have us down-spiral into a web of negativity.

When we think the same thoughts repeatedly, and then verbalize them, the truer they seem to us, and the more evidence we find to continue believing them. Embellishing these thoughts– by adding great adjectives to a story, speculation, etc. around it– can heighten the feeling we experience, thus creating a loop of misery.

This is perfectly fine to do if you’re the type of person that needs to verbally process your feelings, or “think out loud”. We do, however, need to keep in mind only the facts of the situation and have the awareness that at any point we want we can decide to shift into thoughts that do serve us.

Original Music by: Matthew Dotson

Cover Art by: Nate Rapai

[Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any educational institutions or organizations. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The hosts are not licensed therapists and their opinion does not substitute the advice of a physician or other qualified professional]

Free Guides:

Examine your Thoughts

Who Are You, Really? 12 Prompts to Create Self-Awareness

Thoughts That Build Resilience

Weekly Time Blocking Planner

Boundary Setting Cheat-Sheet

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Connect with the hosts:

Madel Mazzella:

Instagram: ⁠@madelmazzella

TikTok: ⁠@madelmazzella⁠

Website: madelmazzella.com

Kaitlyn Rapai:

Instagram: @the_teacher_burnout_coach

TikTok: ⁠@kaitlyn_rapai_coaching⁠

Website: ⁠kaitlynrapai.com⁠

There is no manual on how to live our individual lives, but the one we create for ourselves based on what works for us. On today’s episode, the hosts discuss finding our own pace to slow-living in the summer months.

So many of us experience mixed feelings in the summer. There’s nothing we want more as teachers than to finally have our well-deserved time off when we’re in the middle of the school year trying our might to juggle all the demands. We dream about using that sweet leisure time to do all the things we say we don’t have time to do when school is in session. But, summer has finally settled in, and now many teachers struggle with having nothing to do, or wanting to do so much only to end up doing nothing – then beating themselves up for it.

The hosts suggest that in order to find our happy medium we need to have a flexible structure. First, we must establish our priority. What is your non-negotiable this summer? If relaxing is hard for you, journal about why and ask yourself questions regarding the meaning you’re assigning to doing nothing. If, on the contrary, you feel as though you’re wasting your time, schedule things to do during the day. It is proven that when you write down things you want to do the probability of completing them increases significantly. Set reminders on your phone to keep your attention focused on your priority.

Try different approaches during this precious time off to see what works. And, as always, give yourself grace when you fall short of hitting your mark, and celebrate each and every single accomplishment.

Original Music by: Matthew Dotson

Cover Art by: Nate Rapai

[Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any educational institutions or organizations. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The hosts are not licensed therapists and their opinion does not substitute the advice of a physician or other qualified professional]

Free Guides:

Examine your Thoughts

Who Are You, Really? 12 Prompts to Create Self-Awareness

Thoughts That Build Resilience

Weekly Time Blocking Planner

Boundary Setting Cheat-Sheets

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Connect with the hosts:

Madel Mazzella:

Instagram: ⁠@madelmazzella

TikTok: ⁠@madelmazzella⁠

Website: madelmazzella.com

Kaitlyn Rapai:

Instagram: @the_teacher_burnout_coach

TikTok: ⁠@kaitlyn_rapai_coaching⁠

Website: ⁠kaitlynrapai.com⁠

It’s time to check in with ourselves to determine how we really feel about not working this summer. If you’ve ever been asked about the ‘working in the summer’ question by non teachers you’d know the type of feeling it elicits. If you’re the kind of person that says summers are for fun and relaxation without hesitation, that’s amazing! Many teachers struggle with the answer, however, and some love to explain how we really need the time off because the type of work we do is so mentally and physically draining.

If we really think about how we want to feel about not working in the summer we can align our answer to our values and be firm with it without having to offer explanations. We must remember that people will think what they want regardless of our answer. No amount of explaining will convince anyone who already made up their mind about teachers having their summers off.

It’s time for us to reframe our thoughts and think about the next few weeks as the time we pour into our well-being, learn to disconnect and not let our overachieving mentality make some of us think we’re lazy because we’re off.

It’s ok to not want to talk about school, difficult students, colleagues, administrators, and all the stressors we typically face during the school year. The thoughts we think will determine whether we feel pressured or guilty for not registering for a summer conference, workshop or webinar on how to start the new school year –when it’s only the beginning of July. The more we acknowledge how we truly feel, the more we’d realize how we’re not outcasts for wanting to disconnect.

Original Music by: Matthew Dotson

Cover Art by: Nate Rapai

[Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any educational institutions or organizations. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The hosts are not licensed therapists and their opinion does not substitute the advice of a physician or other qualified professional]