Anybody who is a teacher will know - September is a killer! Between a new class, new classroom, new books, new kids, new school and staff in some cases, it can be so overwhelming. And this year, it really hit me. The tiredness, the emotion, the sheer feeling of crap-ness. I posted already about my first week with my class, here, but I thought I'd do a new post about surviving the month of September. I also want to post about how I try to maintain a work-life balance. I've recently gotten a couple of mails asking me how to combine a healthy lifestyle with a good social life, and the pressures of our job too. So, here we go!
As I've said already, September is the most difficult month as a teacher. You have so much 'new-ness' to contend with, and it can be very easy to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by it all. I found that I had to give in the first week - I came home from school each day and slept as much as I could. I had chocolate when I wanted it and I had coffee and tea by the bucket-load!!!! By Friday, I was pooped and I ended up in the chemist after school and in bed by six o'clock!!
By week two, I had started to feel a lot more normal. I got myself into a new routine (I have a longer commute to work now, but have found some traffic shortcuts, so it's not too bad!) and since then, I've found it a lot better. I'm very funny about routine, in that, I don't function right without a routine. So I needed to establish a new one very quickly before things got very out of hand!! I'm on top of my prep and planning - the school has an excellent planning system, which is a shared network of plans, which can be edited and suited to our classes and our themes and topics, which is brilliant. It has taken a lot of the pressure off, because I know that for most people, that's the really difficult part. I'm on top of my behavioural system and my classroom management. I've settled really well into the staff - they're amazing - so supportive and really welcoming and lovely. So ya, it's been a brilliant month - tough in some ways (personally, we had a family bereavement which was very difficult) but excellent in other ways. October has started off very well, and I'm positive it will be a brilliant month for me :)
Keeping a balanced lifestyle is so important, and these are five things I find help me :)
I'm really hoping this post helps some people. I know that it can be difficult to figure a way of putting 100% into your job, your social life, your friends and family, and then lead a healthy lifestyle on top of all that. I will say though, a healthy lifestyle has to start from within, so get the insides right and the rest will be easier to fix! Look after yourself, be kind to yourself and most importantly, live your life!
- Manage your time efficiently - I recently read this quote from Charles Darwin, which I found really moving. We spend so much time on things that are completely unnecessary. I remember spending hours upon end watching the soaps, or mindlessly scrolling on my phone, or trying to spend time planning and getting distracted by silly things on the internet!! If you're doing something, do it with a purpose. With regards to work, I try to plan as efficiently as I can. I do not bring much work home with me any more, bar the kids handwriting copies, which I can do easily while I watch the only TV programme I watch any more - Home and Away! I set myself a time to leave school each day. Mondays and Thursdays, I stay a little later. This helps me get on top of my planning and preparation, which makes my days run more smoothly. I set aside time for friends and family. I make sure I have time to live my life. I don't want to look back on life and have regrets. I don't want to think, 'Oh, I really should have done that....' At the end of the day, I am young, and I have so much of my life left to live. So I want to do that in the best way that I know how. Spending hours upon end in school, doing school work, watching mindless TV, etc. is not the way I want to do this. This does not mean that I don't love my job (trust me, I do!) or that I don't enjoy a lazy day (we all do!) but I don't want to waste a second of my life!
- Treat yourself - And I don't necessarily mean food-related treats. I used to always think a treat was one which was sugary and delicious, but I've learned that it doesn't always have to be. I meet my friends for lunch, coffee, etc very regularly, and I have the odd night out where I let my hair down, but again, making good choices is important. I will often treat myself in other ways - getting my nails done, getting some new make up, buying lots of new Tupperware, booking a weekend away, and so on. Whatever works for you, but treat yourself, and don't feel guilty for whatever it is!
- Make plans - I find that when things are planned out, things go more smoothly for me. People wonder why I always have lists - to-do lists, shopping lists, planning lists, etc. but it's how I feel in control of things. I have a busy life, between family, Mark, my friends, work, after-school activities, this website, my healthy lifestyle - and in order to keep on top of everything and to ensure I spend my time efficiently, I plan for things.
- Recognise when things are tough - recognising when things are tough is difficult, and doing something about it can be even more difficult. The first week of September, I came home and cried my eyes out and sobbed to Mark, wondering what I was doing, not having a clue about school, feeling overwhelmed, and (first world problems!) my phone decided to die. I was so upset and knew I was heading for a little breakdown. It's funny, because now, Mark will nearly know before me, when things are ready to crack! So we had a big chat and got all the bad feelings out. And while it didn't solve any of my issues, getting everything off my chest helped immensely. I also find Yoga fantastic for keeping me grounded and helping me to be present. So yes, learn to recognise when things are not going great, and more importantly, learn how to deal with these tough times.
- Spend time with those you love - Make the time for this. It is self explanatory. Whoever you love, whoever loves you, take time for that. Switch off from the world and just spend that quality time together. If I've learned anything, it's that life is precious, and it's to be treasured. So, if you need to - think about all the important things in your life. They may seem to be 'silly' or trivial things, but these are the things that will motivate you and make you want to succeed in life and help to maintain that healthy work-life balance.
I'm really hoping this post helps some people. I know that it can be difficult to figure a way of putting 100% into your job, your social life, your friends and family, and then lead a healthy lifestyle on top of all that. I will say though, a healthy lifestyle has to start from within, so get the insides right and the rest will be easier to fix! Look after yourself, be kind to yourself and most importantly, live your life!