Healthy Teachers, Healthy Classrooms

Healthy Teachers, Healthy Classrooms I blend real stories, reflective practice, and practical tools that support real change. Alberta
Agriculture
Women

I’m Carman Murray, a speaker, coach, and author who helps educators reduce burnout, reconnect with their values, and create aligned rhythms for life and teaching.

What has been taking up too much mental space lately?Sometimes the smallest thing on your list drains the most energy.It...
09/26/2026

What has been taking up too much mental space lately?

Sometimes the smallest thing on your list drains the most energy.

It’s the parent email you keep replaying.
The student you’re worried about.
The pile of marking sitting on your desk.
The conversation you still need to have.
The thing you said yes to when your calendar was already full.

Teachers carry a lot that no one else can see.

Take a minute today and notice what keeps circling back into your thoughts. You don’t have to solve everything right now. Awareness is a good place to start.

Is there something you can deal with, delegate, schedule for later, or simply decide you’re done carrying?

What could you make a little more room for if that mental load wasn’t taking up so much space?

If you’re working through this, I talk more about boundaries, burnout, and protecting your time and energy in "Teachers First: A Guide to Avoiding and Overcoming Burnout in the Classroom". Click the link in my profile to get your copy.

BC educators, I’d love to see you in Surrey this October.Since joining the Werklund Institute for Social Emotional Intel...
09/24/2026

BC educators, I’d love to see you in Surrey this October.

Since joining the Werklund Institute for Social Emotional Intelligence, I’ve been excited to join conversations about mental health and well-being across the whole school community, including the educators holding so much of it together.

On October 23, we’re hosting The BC Mental Health Symposium: Thriving Schools & Systems in Surrey. It’s a full day focused on evidence-informed practices, practical strategies, connection, and ideas that support student mental health, educator flourishing, and stronger school communities.

The speaker lineup is incredible, including keynote speakers Trevor Mackenzie and Dr. Jody Carrington, along with Dr. Gail Markin, Dr. Molly Lawlor, Dana Fulwiler Volk, and more.

If you’re an educator, school leader, counsellor, or someone supporting well-being in BC schools, I hope you’ll consider joining us.

📍 Surrey, BC
📅 October 23, 2026

Details & registration can be found through the link in my bio.

And if someone in your education circle comes to mind, please send this their way.

By now, the school year is settling into a rhythm.The routines are becoming more familiar. You know your students a litt...
09/23/2026

By now, the school year is settling into a rhythm.

The routines are becoming more familiar. You know your students a little better. The calendar is filling up. This is often when your habits begin to settle in, too.

So it’s worth asking: Are the routines you’re creating actually supporting you?

Healthy routines do not have to be complicated. Often, they are small choices repeated often enough to protect your energy.

☑️ Drink your warm water before the morning rush takes over
☑️ Eat lunch instead of working straight through it
☑️ Choose a realistic time to leave school
☑️ Take a few minutes to reset before walking into your home
☑️ Keep one evening free from schoolwork
☑️ Create a wind-down routine that helps you actually rest

The goal is to build a school-year rhythm that leaves room for both the teacher and the person.

Because when work begins to take up every available space, balance becomes harder to find. A few clear routines can help you create a boundary between your classroom and your home, and give your body and mind a chance to shift gears.

Take a look at the patterns you’ve already created this September. Keep the ones that are helping. Adjust the ones that are draining you.

You still have lots of the year ahead of you. Set a pace you can live with.

What is one healthy routine you want to protect this school year?

If your brain is still going long after your head hits the pillow, your evening routine may need a little more support.I...
09/18/2026

If your brain is still going long after your head hits the pillow, your evening routine may need a little more support.

In my 6th Calm is a Practice video, I’m sharing simple 2-minute practices to help you wind down, settle your nervous system, and prepare your body for deeper rest.

We’ll explore calming breaths, a body scan, gentle stretching, journaling, EFT tapping, and a few small ways to create more rhythm around sleep.

You don’t have to overhaul your whole evening. Choose one practice, try it consistently, and notice what shifts.

Watch 2-Minute Practices for Better Sleep and explore the full Calm is a Practice playlist on YouTube. Link is in my profile.

Last week, we talked about taking one big goal for the school year and breaking it down into one small, manageable step....
09/16/2026

Last week, we talked about taking one big goal for the school year and breaking it down into one small, manageable step.

This week is your check-in.

Not the kind where you judge yourself for what didn’t happen. The kind where you pause, breathe, and honestly notice what did.

☑️Did your small step feel doable?
☑️Did it help create more calm, clarity, or structure?
☑️Did it need to be even smaller?
☑️Did something unexpected get in the way?
☑️Did you learn something about your pace?

September can move quickly. The lists grow, routines are still settling, and it’s easy to slip into trying to do everything at once.

This is where checking in matters.

A check-in helps you adjust before you hit overwhelm. It gives you a chance to celebrate progress, shift what isn’t working, and choose your next step with more awareness.

This week, take five minutes and ask yourself:

🔹 What worked last week?
🔹 What felt too heavy?
🔹 What is one thing I can repeat?
🔹 What is one thing I can release?
🔹 What is my next small step?

Big goals are built through steady action, honest reflection, and a pace you can actually maintain.

You are not behind. You are building.

What is one small step you are carrying forward this week?

Educators, your invitation today: step outside and watch the sun rise or set. A few quiet minutes. No agenda. Just look ...
09/12/2026

Educators, your invitation today: step outside and watch the sun rise or set. A few quiet minutes. No agenda. Just look up and take it in.

Sometimes calm starts with something surprisingly simple.In my 5th Calm is a Practice video, I guide you through a gentl...
09/11/2026

Sometimes calm starts with something surprisingly simple.

In my 5th Calm is a Practice video, I guide you through a gentle eye-movement practice paired with breath awareness to support nervous system regulation, release tension, and bring you back into a more grounded state.

It’s a simple practice you can try when you wake up feeling anxious, between classes, before bed, or anytime your system feels overloaded.

You don’t need a lot of time. Just slow down, notice what’s happening in your body, and give yourself a few minutes to reset.

Watch Eye Movements for Nervous System Reset and explore the full Calm is a Practice playlist on YouTube. Link is in my profile.

School is in full swing after the long weekend, and this is often when the big goals for the year start to feel very rea...
09/09/2026

School is in full swing after the long weekend, and this is often when the big goals for the year start to feel very real.

You may have hopes for stronger routines, better classroom flow, more student ownership, clearer boundaries, improved organization, deeper relationships, or a calmer pace for yourself.

Those are beautiful goals.

They are also too big to carry all at once.

This week, choose one goal and break it down into the smallest next step. Not the full-year plan. Not the twelve-part system. Just the next reasonable action.

🔹 What is the bigger goal I care about this year?
🔹 What is one small step I can take this week?
🔹 What can I repeat until it becomes easier?
🔹 What support, structure, or reminder would help me stay steady?
🔹 What can wait until later?

A good school year is built through rhythm, not rushing. The pace you set now matters.

When you take one clear step at a time, you create progress without draining yourself by Thanksgiving. You also model something powerful for your students: big things are built through small, consistent actions.

You do not need to arrive at the end of September exhausted from trying to become the perfect version of yourself.

Start small. Stay steady. Let the year unfold one grounded step at a time.

What is one small step you are taking toward a bigger goal this year?

09/06/2026

Thank you, Yellowknife. Such a beautiful place with amazing humans. 🙏

09/05/2026

Thank you, Yellowknife! Such a beautiful place with amazing humans. 🙏

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