If you are like many educators, energy can feel like the first thing to go and the hardest thing to regain. Yet your energy is sacred. It fuels your patience, your creativity, and your ability to show up as your best self. The NICE Teacher framework reminds us to nurture ourselves before we nurture others, to integrate our inner and outer worlds, and to courageously protect our peace. The WAND framework calls us back to authenticity and divine direction—not hustle, not perfection.
Protecting your energy is not selfish. It is essential. When you guard your energy, you guard your impact.
Good news: you can protect and sustain your energy with five simple practices.
These steps include:
- Step 1: Start Your Day in Silence
- Step 2: Set Energetic Boundaries
- Step 3: Avoid Overcommitment
- Step 4: End Your Day With Gratitude
- Step 5: Prioritize Rest Without Guilt
Let’s look at each step in more detail…
Step 1: Start Your Day in Silence
Many teachers begin the day by immediately absorbing other people’s needs through messages, emails, and reminders. Usually, you can avoid that by starting with five minutes of stillness before screens. This protects your tone before the noise begins.
For example: Sit quietly, breathe in for four and out for six, and ask, “What do I need to carry today?” Choose one word—peace, courage, clarity—and write it on a sticky note for your desk.
Step 2: Set Energetic Boundaries
Teachers often absorb every emotion in the room, which can drain you quickly. Usually, you can avoid emotional overload by learning to release what is not yours to carry.
For example: Before class or a meeting, visualize a gentle boundary around you and say, “I can care without carrying.” After a tense moment, take one slow breath and mentally release: “That belongs to them, not to me.” This keeps compassion from turning into depletion.
Step 3: Avoid Overcommitment
A stretched teacher becomes a scattered teacher. Usually, you can avoid burnout by protecting your “yes” so it stays meaningful.
For example: Use a simple filter before agreeing to anything: “Is this required, aligned, and realistic this week?” If not, practise one sentence: “I can’t take that on right now, but I can revisit it later.” Your time is finite, and your peace matters.
Step 4: End Your Day With Gratitude
Without closure, the mind replays what went wrong. Usually, you can avoid carrying the day home by ending with gratitude and release.
For example: Before leaving, write: “One thing I did well today” and “One thing I’m letting go of.” This trains your brain to notice progress and teaches your body that the day is complete.
Step 5: Prioritize Rest Without Guilt
Many teachers rest only when they collapse. Usually, you can avoid that by treating rest as fuel, not a reward. Sleep, downtime, and joy sustain your calling.
For example: Choose one rest commitment you can keep: a consistent bedtime, a phone-free 20 minutes, or one joyful activity each week. When guilt rises, remind yourself: “Rest is part of the work. It keeps me able to serve.”
Sustainable teaching is not about doing more. It is about protecting what makes you effective—your energy. When you honor silence, boundaries, intentional yeses, gratitude, and rest, you show up with more presence and less strain.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this blog post, written especially for you. It was taken straight from my mind and heart as I felt vulnerable to share glimpses of my world with you. The article was polished and meticulously reviewed to make sure it was in the best possible light before it was published so that it may serve you well.
If you’re seeking additional resources or personalized support, feel free to reach out at www.insightfuleducation.org. Together, we can cultivate classrooms where you and your students feel empowered to learn and thrive, which is aligned with the NICE Teacher framework (Nurturing, Integrated, Courageous, and Encouraging).