Beyond Good Intentions: For the Teacher Who Knows Better but Isn't Practicing It.

As midlife women teachers, we're experts at caring for others but novices at caring for ourselves. Stop overthinking and start taking meaningful, consistent action to create real positive change in your busy teaching life. Time to stop talking the talk and walk the walk?

Knowledge Alone Isn't Enough

You've read all the books. You've listened to all the podcasts. You can talk about self-care, work-life balance, and stress management with all the insight of a licensed professional. But at the end of another exhausting day, when you're lying in bed staring at the ceiling, it doesn't feel like anything has changed, does it? That's because knowledge is only part of the story; without any actual action, it becomes just one more thing cluttering up your head.

Understanding Feels Safer Than Doing

Maybe we, teachers, cling to knowledge because it feels productive, and it's what we do – pass knowledge on? It's comforting to believe that if we just learn more, the answers will fall into place. But our brain—the one that expertly teaches algebra or literature or history, whatever - doesn't care how much we know about our mental health or well-being. It cares about habits; those deeply ingrained patterns – our brains love habits, which is why it's so hard to let go of the unhelpful ones and create new healthier ones.

The Gap Between Knowing and Doing

So often I've read something eye-opening or heard a podcast that made me nod along, thinking, This is it. This will change everything. Now I can finally become the best version of myself! And then—without even realizing it—I'm back to obsessing over a critical email or skipping another meal to finish just one more thing. This gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it is where so many of us get totally and frustratingly stuck.

Feel the Resistance and Do It Anyway

When you try to build a new habit—like actually taking that lunch break or turning off work notifications after work—you'll feel resistance. That's your brain literally fighting against creating new neural pathways. The old, familiar circuits light up like a well-travelled highway, while the new path you're trying to forge feels like hacking through dense jungle with a butter knife. That resistance isn't a sign you're doing something wrong—it's proof you're challenging the status quo! Embrace it!

Your brain is screaming, This is uncomfortable! Go back to what we know! But this is exactly where growth happens. Feel that resistance, acknowledge it—Yes, this feels weird and hard—and then do the new habit anyway. Each time you push through, those new neural pathways strengthen. It never becomes effortless, but the resistance does get quieter. The path gets clearer. And one day, you realize the new way feels more natural than the old.

Start Small

Start with one tiny habit. Maybe it's five quiet minutes with your coffee before the day starts. Or actually sitting down to eat lunch instead of multitasking through it. Maybe it's as simple as saying, Sorry, I can't take that on right now, grading one less assignment per week, or setting up your classroom the day before so mornings aren't chaotic. Perhaps it's keeping your phone out of reach when sharing your day over dinner with your kids, or not emailing after 7pm.

The key isn't asking, What's the ideal thing to do? It's asking, What can I realistically do every day? Change doesn't need to be flashy—it needs to be something you can manageably do every day-ish.

When You Falter (and you will) Keep Going

Remember you're going to slip up – and that's ok. You'll find yourself falling back into old routines of overworking or people-pleasing, no worries – keep going. The women who manage to do things differently, don't succeed because they do it perfectly. They succeed because they give themselves slack and keep going. Fall, get up, keep going. Fall, get up, keep going. Fall, get up, keep going. Unlearning, re-learning and learning takes time – be patient.

The Ripple Effect of Your Change

When you show up for yourself, it doesn't just change you and your world—it ripples outward. Your students will see what it means to value yourself. Your family will learn to adapt to your boundaries. Your colleagues might find inspiration in your example.

Making the changes you've wanted to make for months, even years, isn't about knowing more. It's about doing, even if it's messy, even if it's imperfect, even if you feel like a stupid beginner. So start small. Stay consistent. Keep going. Because the space between who you are and who you want to be can close—one small step at a time; just keep steadily walking.

Ready to Begin?

Ready to stop knowing and start doing? I invite you to pick just ONE small action (maybe from this article that resonated with you.) Write it down, right now. Put it somewhere you'll see it daily—your planner, a sticky note on your desk, or even as your phone wallpaper. Commit to this ONE thing for just one week. Then connect with me in the comments to share what you chose and how it's going. Because sometimes, all we need is to know we're not walking this path alone.

Here's to less talking, more walking, and finding ourselves along the way.

I work with midlife women teachers to help them avoid losing themselves so they can get back to enjoying life. Feel free to DM me for a chat if this is you.