Teaching is a rewarding, exciting, and STRESSFUL job! It is difficult to balance school life from home life, especially when you have a family
of your own. It is important to take time for YOU! As teachers, it is our
natural instinct to put others first. We care and want to help others, but
before we can do that, we need to HELP OURSELVES! Really! You may not even
realize it, but your life is consumed with fulfilling other people’s needs, and we
ultimately suffer when we are always focused on helping other and not ourselves.
There are simple ways that you can bring balance to your
life so that you can be the most effective teacher, parent, spouse,
son/daughter, and friend you can be!
RELAX!
Stress is inevitable for teachers: a classroom full of loud students, piles of paperwork, deadlines from administrators, answering parent emails. The list is constantly growing. We need to find ways to combat that stress so that we can live happier, more balanced lives. Mindfulness and meditation are effective ways to keep us grounded. Taking even just five minutes each day for quiet reflection can help us find calm in our busy lives. Keeping a journal of your thoughts is another way to reduce stress. Reflect on your blessings, your successes, and the positive aspects of your day in your journal. Yoga and breathing techniques can counter the effects of stress. Listen to your favorite band, or put on soothing music while you are falling asleep. Reading a good book can also take your mind off of the craziness of the day, and help you feel more calm and relaxed.
Stress is inevitable for teachers: a classroom full of loud students, piles of paperwork, deadlines from administrators, answering parent emails. The list is constantly growing. We need to find ways to combat that stress so that we can live happier, more balanced lives. Mindfulness and meditation are effective ways to keep us grounded. Taking even just five minutes each day for quiet reflection can help us find calm in our busy lives. Keeping a journal of your thoughts is another way to reduce stress. Reflect on your blessings, your successes, and the positive aspects of your day in your journal. Yoga and breathing techniques can counter the effects of stress. Listen to your favorite band, or put on soothing music while you are falling asleep. Reading a good book can also take your mind off of the craziness of the day, and help you feel more calm and relaxed.
EXERCISE
Go for a walk! Find walking trails in your
area, clear your mind, and enjoy nature. Studies show that being outdoors reduces stress and improves your overall health.
Sign up for a fitness class! There are so
many to choose from, for so many levels. My personal favorites are Zumba, PiYo,
and Turbo Kick. They are fun, the music is great, and they keep you motivated.
There is no better feeling than starting or ending your day with a great
workout with great people. Here is a link to my favorite fitness studio to see
all of the exciting classes that are out there. There is sure to be one that
excites you: www.bethefitfriend.com
Try a new sport! Adult leagues for soccer,
softball/baseball, basketball, dance, and even curling are offered in our town
and cities. Do a simple Internet search and you will be surprised to see how
many adult leagues are out there.
EAT WELL!
There are so many benefits of proper
nutrition. We need to fuel our bodies with nutritious foods to provide us with
the energy and brain power needed to stay on our toes educating young minds.
Take-out and eating out can be expensive, and it isn’t the healthiest!
Food
prep is essential. Take an hour or two on the weekend to prepare your meals for
the week ahead. There are so many dishes that can be made ahead of time and
popped into the refrigerator or freezer to eat later in the week. Just think:
veggie lasagna, shrimp tacos, and white chicken chili can be on your family’s
menu this week with just a little prep time. Prepping for breakfast is also a
huge time-saver in my house. Overnight oats in mason jars is the perfect grab
and go breakfast when you’re short on time and want something healthy AND
filling!
With
a little planning, you can also make two meals in one. One of my family’s
favorites is spaghetti and meatballs. We will have the pasta and meatballs the
first night, and then dinner for the next day will be meatball sliders, which
are always a hit! Rotisserie chicken can be made into enchiladas one night, and
a chicken Caesar salad the next.
Use your crockpot! This is a huge time
saver and there are so many different recipes out there to satisfy even your
pickiest eaters!
Veggie lasagna recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/veggie-lasagna-3089113
Shrimp Tacos: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/262655/shrimp-tacos-with-avocado-crema/
White Chicken Chili: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-chicken-chili/
Veggie lasagna recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/veggie-lasagna-3089113
Shrimp Tacos: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/262655/shrimp-tacos-with-avocado-crema/
White Chicken Chili: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-chicken-chili/
Overnight Oats: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/overnight-oats-3416659
SLEEP!
Are you getting your eight hours? This
seems to be where most of us fall short, but sleep is the most important thing
we can do for our bodies. It helps fight off all of those classroom illnesses,
reduces stress, boosts our intellectual functions and our mood, and the list goes on and on. It is hard to shut off our minds at the end of a busy day. Turning off
our cell phones and electronics before bed can help. Make your bedroom your
oasis: play relaxing music, spray lavender essential oils, and read a book or magazine.
This will put our mind at ease and help to get a restful night’s sleep.
MANAGE YOUR TIME
Sometimes we feel as though we live in our
classrooms. It’s true, we see our colleagues and students more than we see our
own families. It is important to budget our time so that we can make time for
ourselves and our families.
Making lists is essential. It is easy to
get off track. Teachers don’t usually get more than five minutes of
uninterrupted time. Checklists help us stay focused so that we can accomplish
what we need to, even when we get interrupted.
Creating a top three to-do list is also
helpful. Start your day by jotting down the top three things that you hope to
accomplish that day. This helps to prioritize what is most important within our
day, and allows us to set reasonable expectations for ourselves. Limiting the
list to three items makes that list a lot less daunting and a lot more
manageable. Sticking to that list can help to weed out the non-essentials
within your day, and will allow for more time at home.
SAY NO!
We want to help. We want to be involved. The
reality is, though, that we cannot do everything, even though we really want
to. Teachers need to learn to say no. We need to decide what our top priorities are and weed out the rest. If we volunteer to be on too many committees and initiatives, there is no time left for our everyday classroom responsibilities such as planning, prepping, and correcting; and there is no time left for YOU! We want to do what we do well, and we can't if we are stressed or overextended, so don't be afraid to politely decline. You will thank yourself later!
