Balanced Black Educator

Welcome to the Balanced Black Educator podcast that unapologetically centers the well-being of Black educators from K12 – Higher Ed. Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers is an educator, licensed mental health therapist, and educator wellness strategist who believes that wellness is liberation, self-care is social justice, and rest is revolutionary. Subscribe and join her every other Sunday for about 20 minutes (or less!) where she discusses various topics at the intersection of education and mental wellness with a special focus on stress management and burnout prevention. Follow the show on Instagram @BalancedBlackEducator and join the Facebook group by the same name.

S3 E1. Three Ways to Properly Rest and Quiet Your Mind (especially on Sundays!) 09/17/2023

S2 E10. 4 Reasons the Journey is More Challenging for Black Educators 02/05/2023

You DO Have Time to Prioritize Your Wellness 12/11/2022

You DO Have Time to Prioritize Your Wellness Season 2 Episode 9 Episode link: Summary Educators are under tremendous workloads in a sector that is under-funded and under-paid - which absolutely contributes to a valid feeling of time scarcity among educators. We have to acknowledge these constraints and we also have to acknowledge that as individual people within this damaged system, we can only do what is within our control. In this episode I talk about the importance of boundaries and the proper mindset to ensure you can continue to prioritize what matters most. The good news is these changes are absolutely within your control to shift your response to create more space for yourself and your wellness over time. If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to reset your nervous system you’re invited to join me for a FREE live, private training ‘3 Ways to Reduce Stress, Invite Calm, and Reset Your Nervous System as a Black Educator’ happening in just 4 weeks! Feel free to register for this FREE training at () I promise you’ll learn something new and get to know a little more about me and the work I do! The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Enjoying the content on the podcast? You can “buy me a coffee” to show your support!: Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (Non-Apple Podcast feed): This episode is brought to you by: My FREE Live, Private Training on Jan. 8th at 1pm Central. ‘3 Ways to Reduce Stress, Invite Calm, and Reset Your Nervous System’ Register for FREE here: Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/25288191

Considerations For an Effective Wellness Practice 12/04/2022

Considerations For an Effective Wellness Practice Season 2 Episode 8 Episode link: Summary In this episode I talk about the importance of having a daily wellness practice already planned and designed for you to guard against decision fatigue and to ensure a variety of options are available to you that actually work to reset your nervous system. I also discuss aspects of Overload Theory, how it relates specifically to Black educators, and how having a well developed wellness practice that activates the Ventral vagal part of the Vagus Nerve in your body can counteract the components of this theory to improve your stress resilience. If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to reset your nervous system and reduce your stress as a Black educator, feel free to add your name to the GroundED™ waitlist (at no obligation to you) - () You’ll be the first to know when enrollment opens and gain access to early bird pricing and special bonuses. I’ll be sharing more about this incredible program over the next few weeks! The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Enjoying the content on the podcast? You can “buy me a coffee” to show your support!: Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (Non-Apple Podcast feed): This episode is brought to you by: GroundED™ (group coaching program) - join the waitlist! Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/25217466

The Effects of Being an Educator on Your Nervous System Part 2 11/27/2022

The Effects of Being an Educator on Your Nervous System Part 2 Season 2 Episode 7 Episode link: Summary In part 2 of this 2-part episode, I take a further look at the effects of being an educator at the nervous system level. Discussion continues around the various degrees of stress and what puts Black educators in a unique and challenging position when it comes to the internal and external barriers of regulating your nervous system. If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to reset your nervous system and reduce your stress as a Black educator, feel free to add your name to the GroundED™ waitlist (at no obligation to you)! () You’ll be the first to know when enrollment opens and gain access to early bird pricing and special bonuses. I’ll be sharing more about this incredible program over the next few weeks! The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Enjoying the content on the podcast? You can “buy me a coffee” to show your support!: Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (Non-Apple Podcast feed): This episode is brought to you by: GroundED™ (group coaching program) - join the waitlist! Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Announcements: You can buy me a “coffee” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/25138578

The Effects of Being an Educator on Your Stress (at the Cellular Level) Part 1 11/20/2022

The Effects of Being an Educator on Your Stress (at the Cellular Level) Part 1 Season 2 Episode 6 Episode link: Summary If you have ever felt or are currently feeling fatigue, chronic stress, or on the brink of burnout - or any other type of dysregulation - then this episode is for you. Let’s face it, as a Black educator, it doesn’t matter your setting - whether you are in K12 or Higher Ed, just by the nature of the work you do and what it requires of you, I imagine you’ve experienced some form of exhaustion or stress. In this episode, we’re gonna talk about some of the factors that are contributing to these feelings and how your body and nervous system respond under these stressful conditions at the cellular level and what’s needed to get yourself back to a regulated state. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Enjoying the content on the podcast? You can “buy me a coffee” to show your support!: Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (Non-Apple Podcast feed): This episode is brought to you by: GroundED™ (group coaching program) - join the waitlist! Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Announcements: You can buy me a “coffee” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/25073949

The Issue With Self Care and What You Should Focus on Instead 11/13/2022

The Issue With Self Care and What You Should Focus on Instead Season 2 Episode 5 Episode link: Summary I believe that Vagus nerve activation and autonomic nervous system management should be required training in every K12 and Higher Ed setting. If you have no idea what I am referring to, take a listen to this week’s episode to learn more about your nervous system and find out how to take your self-care practices to the next level of effectiveness through self-regulation. If your self-care is no longer giving what it’s supposed to give, discover what you should be focusing on instead. Especially if you’re feeling like you need more from your current self-care routine. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Enjoying the content on the podcast? You can “buy me a coffee” to show your support!: Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (Non-Apple Podcast feed): This episode is brought to you by: GroundED™ (group coaching program) - join the waitlist! Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Announcements: You can buy me a “coffee” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/24990060

What's Next? What I'm Working on Behind the Scenes! 10/03/2022

3 Ways Being 'Selfish' Allows You To Be More Generous 09/11/2022

3 Ways Being 'Selfish' Allows You To Be More Generous Season 2 Episode 3 Episode link: Summary When there’s talk about educators practicing self care or unapologetically prioritizing their wellness, there’s a little bit of hesitation or reservation because (1) educators may feel guilty because they’ve been so indoctrinated to always ‘put students first’ and (2) educators feel that others may perceive them as selfish. We explore what the word ‘selfish’ means as it relates to overall educator well-being and how centering your own well-being as an educator actually allows you to be more generous with those around you. In this episode, I break down 3 factors to consider how being ‘selfish’ actually allows you to be more generous both professionally and personally - especially over time. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes/Apple feed): This episode is brought to you by: The FREE Balanced Black Educator - Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode: N/A Announcements: You can buy me a “coffee.” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info: Instagram and Facebook Facebook GROUP Hashtag for the podcast For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/24337560

3 Normalized Exploitative Educational Practices (and what to do about it) 08/28/2022

3 Ways to Interrupt the Educator Burnout Cycle 08/14/2022

What Nature Can Teach Us About Rest 05/15/2022

Creating Your Ideal Day 04/24/2022

Creating Your Ideal Day Episode link: Summary This episode explores the benefit of evaluating your ideal day as visualization is such an important tool when it comes to stress management. In order for you to actually bring your ideal day into existence, you have to first allow yourself to imagine what is possible and what is realistic for you - and for you to get clear on how you want your ideal day to look and feel. Taking time out to think about your ideal life can be a very powerful activity but we’re breaking it down into something much more manageable by only focusing on your ideal day. In this episode I discuss the importance of evaluating your ideal day as a next step to get more clarity on how to integrate your values throughout your day to day life as you imagine what you would do if you had more freedom and flexibility. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes/Apple feed): This episode is brought to you by: The FREE Balanced Black Educator - Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode: N/A Announcements: You can buy me a “coffee.” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info: Instagram and Facebook Facebook GROUP Hashtag for the podcast For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/22887896

The One Thing You're Probably Not Asking For Enough 04/10/2022

The One Thing You're Probably Not Asking For Enough Episode link: Summary This episode explores concepts related to what your support system looks like, what it means to be engaged in community care, and also explores the one thing you’re probably not asking for enough - and how all of these things together help to reduce stress. It’s no secret that educators are asked to do a lot - like a WHOLE lot. This unfortunately normalizes the idea or the unrealistic expectation that educators are supposed to do ALL the things with very little support from others. And if you couple this along with the “Strong Black Woman” narrative that many of us as educators carry, it’s a recipe for burnout if it’s left unchecked. In this episode I break down the importance of getting help from others even if it’s something you’re not used to. I also outline the first few steps you can take to start the process of receiving extra support. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes/Apple feed): This episode is brought to you by: The FREE Balanced Black Educator - Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Announcements You can buy me a “coffee.” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/22740653

Finding Joy and Alignment in Your Work 03/27/2022

Finding Joy and Alignment in Your Work Episode link: Summary This episode is all about ‘Finding Joy and Alignment in Your Work’ with the key word here being alignment - which is another way of assessing how much of your day is representative of what brings you joy. If you’re currently struggling with this type of alignment or trying to define what joy means for you, then a conversation about values is definitely in order. In this episode, I discuss ways to help you identify your highest priorities and motivations to discover your core values. I also talk about living your life in a way that reflects those values where a natural byproduct of this alignment is increased joy in your work and in your day to day life. The Balanced Black Educator podcast is a conversation with Dr. Siobhan D. Flowers about all things at the intersection of education and mental wellness for Black educators from K12 to Higher Ed. Listen/Follow/Review on , , , Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes/Apple feed): This episode is brought to you by: The FREE Balanced Black Educator - Guest/Recommended links mentioned in this episode N/A Announcements You can buy me a “coffee.” If you find the content on the podcast valuable, you can “” to show your appreciation! Here: BalancedBlackEducator.com/coffee Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of Black educators who are all working to focus on prioritizing our mental wellness, : Send questions to “Ask Dr. Flowers” You can now send questions for the upcoming “Ask Dr. Flowers” segment that’s coming to Balanced Black Educator. Once I get a pool of questions to select from, I can begin rolling out this segment. Just and include hashtag #AskDrFlowers. Social Media Info Instagram and Facebook: Facebook GROUP: Hashtag for the podcast: For more information, please visit /episode/index/show/8258a0d7-4505-492b-9015-b3264e2f219b/id/22580786

How Much Time Are You Making For Yourself? 03/13/2022

One Surprising Way to Cope During Difficult Times 02/27/2022

Three Ways to Balance Your Energy 02/26/2022

What Does it Mean to Be a 'Balanced Black Educator?' 02/26/2022

Trailer - Balanced Black Educator Podcast 02/20/2022

Balanced Black Educator

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