Sustainable Well-Being: Cultivating Compassion, Curiosity, and Love - Heidi

Mar 11

I used to think well-being and self-care were the same thing—and both words made me anxious. Self-care felt like another thing I wasn’t doing well enough. If I were better at it, I wouldn’t feel so exhausted, so overwhelmed. At the end of the day, I was too drained to be present with my loved ones, and I blamed myself.

Like many educators, I kept pushing through, trying to outrun discomfort. But I’ve learned that those uncomfortable feelings aren’t a sign I’m failing—they’re part of the process. The goal isn’t to stop feeling; it’s to connect with and safely experience emotions. To begin to do this I had to pause and breathe.

At first, pausing and breathing felt impossible. It felt that there was always something urgent to attend to! My mind raced with thoughts like, If I stop, everything will spiral out of control!

I needed a reframe. We are already in each moment, already breathing. The only shift required is in our attention. Instead of being lost in the past, future, or wishing the present were different, we can simply notice where we are, take a breath, and infuse that moment with love and compassion.

Self-Care vs. Well-Being

Self-care is the deliberate actions we take—like rest, movement, or kindness toward ourselves. Well-being is bigger—it’s our overall quality of life, an ongoing process that integrates physical, emotional, social, and mental health.

Self-Care for Well-Being in Real Life

One day in my classroom, my watch buzzed with messages from a parent, the students’ energy was escalating, and frustration bubbled up inside me. I should be handling this better! But instead of pushing through, I took a deep breath in and a slow exhale out. I reminded myself: This moment is hard, and that’s okay. Breathe.

That single moment of self-compassion gave me a moment of connection to my experience, a moment of regulation. Over time, practicing this again and again has helped begin to rewire my brain, build my resilience and increase my well-being. Some days it works, some days I forget—and that’s okay. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about practice.

This Week’s Invitation

Next time you feel an uncomfortable emotion: