Are one of those teachers who saves up all of their sick days, personal days, rarely takes a day off? Maybe you think to yourself - "I can't take a day off work because my class would fall apart." Perhaps you feel like it's not worth it to take your day because you have to prepare for a sub and then you'll fall behind on all the work you do. That it's more work to be out than it is to actually just show up. Or maybe you just feel guilty or pressure to not let your kids down or your co-workers because there is a sub shortage. I get it. I really do, but I want you to know how important it is for you to start taking your personal and mental health days. The truth is that using your benefits like taking time off can help reduce stress, prevent burnout, and improve overall physical and mental health when you are prepared and empowered to do so.

That's why on today's episode, I brought on Kelsey Sorenson from Wife Teacher Mommy to come chat all about teacher sick days. Seriously, we're diving into some of those mindsets you have that may be keeping you from using your benefits, she's doing a little life coaching to help turn those mindsets around and empower you to prioritize using your benefits, and then she's wrapping it up with spilling the tea on how you can prepare yourself for a sub (like today without any stress or hassle).

Kelsey Sorenson is a former third grade teacher and substitute teacher. She is now a homeschool mom to 3 kids and owner of Wife Teacher Mommy, where she and her team serve Pre-K through 6th grade teachers. She is also currently working on her Life Coach Certfication through The Life Coach School to offer teachers the support they need now more than ever. Wife Teacher Mommy has been featured on We are Teachers, Teachers pay Teachers, Jane, Etsy, Food Network, CBC, Fox, and NBC. Kelsey and her team have helped hundreds of thousands of educators cut down planning time and balance the many roles in their lives with her time-saving resources, blogs, teacher life coaching program, Educate & Rejuvenate events, and Wife Teacher Mommy: The Podcast. Kelsey is addicted to Coke Zero and loves reading and listening to audiobooks.

HEAD OVER TO THE SHOW NOTES: teachingmindbodyandsoul.com./episode35

👉Join the FREE Resilient Teacher Community on Facebook: http://www.teachingmindbodyandsoul.com/supportsquad

📝 Want a FREE personalized step-by-step guide to crushing teacher burnout? Take the Personalized Burnout Recovery Roadmap quiz here!

 ❓Get your Questions Answered on the Resilient Teacher Podcast: Ask anything about burnout, recovery, self-care, simplification, and get your questions answered on the show. Head over to teachingmindbodyandsoul.com/ask

✨While this podcast is meant to be helpful for teachers and their mental health, it is not a replacement for therapy or medical care from a licensed professional. Head over to teachingmindbodyandsoul.com/talkspace to save $100 on your first month of accessible therapy from a licensed professional by using the code: SPACE!

🚨Get on the Waitlist for the Automate Your Classroom course & be the first to know how to simplify teacher tasks and create automations so that you can reduce time wasting tasks, set it and forget it, and have the time to do the things you actually want to do in teaching here!

👩🏻‍💻Get on the Individualized EduCare Program Waitlist and be the first to know when the doors open & special promotions here!

💬PS: Has this podcast been helpful for you? Quick! Screenshot this episode, add it to IG, and tag me @teachingmindbodyandsoul  This helps spread the word of this podcast to other educators.