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A Summer of Self-Care for Religious Educators
by Jo Rotunno

Most religious educators are accustomed to spending more time on others than on themselves. Many of us seem to think that time spent restoring our own spirits is a cause for guilt. Yet if we don’t do just that, we’ll soon find that we have very little left to give others. Here is a short prescription for self-care during the summer months that can help you restore proper balance to your ministry.

Replay. Before you move too far away from the last catechetical year, stop and take stock of your ministry. Faith First® offers you several excellent tools for self-evaluation in the Program Director’s Manual.
Renew. Step away from your ministry and take some time just for you. Find some days or afternoons to explore other interests and pleasures. Spend some time in the out-of-doors and allow the natural world to rejuvenate you. Read a novel. Listen to your favorite music. Take time to just be.
Reintroduce yourself to your family, religious community, or close friends. Our first responsibility and first source of nourishment is the people who love us the most. Remind yourself during these months of why you love them and take time to tell them about it.
Reflect. Spend some time reflecting on what gives you life. Get closer to those things. Recall God’s goodness to you. Spiritual writer Robert Wicks tells us that if we will spend two minutes a day in silence, solitude, and thanksgiving, it will change our lives. Practice this, and carry the practice into your next year in ministry.
Retool. Look back on the self-evaluation you did at the end of the year. Pick an area in which you would like to grow and learn something new—a skill or some new knowledge that will enrich your teaching in the fall.

Take a dose of this restorative prescription daily. In the fall you will return to the catechetical ministry rejuvenated, and will share your faith with more enthusiasm than you ever have before. You and your learners will both benefit from your summer of self-care.