Work-life balance has been something that I have been working on implementing at the beginning of the year to have a successful and healthy year. This is something I struggled with last year and it had lasting consequences throughout the year. I felt like I lost my stamina early on and it became difficult to be the best teacher I could be for my students. After experiencing a year of teaching, I’ve come to understand the importance of prioritizing a work-life balance even when it seems nearly impossible. For me a healthy work-life balance incorporates times for decompressing, time for fun, and keeping a healthy mind and body.
In order to fully decompress I have realized I need to zone out from anything that has to do with my school, TFA, or the UofM. This means chunking out a small amount of time to disconnect from emails and texts. I’ve found success in listening to podcasts when I get back from work in order to keep my mind off the things that might cause me stress. This allows my mind to wander to something of interest to me that does not trigger anxiety. It also gives me space to think creatively about the topic in the podcast I’m listening to. Normally the podcasts I listen to have an overarching theme that relates to equity work which can serve as potential inspiration the next day. Another thing that helps me zone out of my daily work is reading. Often times last year I would equate reading for pleasure to wasting time I could be doing work for school. This year I am changing that rhetoric by understanding that reading gives me the outlet to increase my mental stamina in the long run.
Another important component in creating a healthy work-life balance for me is doing things that are fun throughout the week. This is something I have to actively schedule into my calendar in order to make sure I do it. The weekdays are especially hard for me to do things that are not related to work or school so I made it a priority this year to schedule in fun evening activities at least two weeknights and the weekends. This is an area where it could be tied to my school, such as going to my students’ soccer games or going out to dinner with friends. I found that if it’s in my calendar, I can work around it to make sure I get my other work done. Part of this is surrounding myself with people that keep me at my best. The picture below is an example of me taking time out of my weekend to do that with two of my closest friends.
The last important component of keeping a healthy work-life balance for me is keeping a healthy mind and healthy body. In order to do those things, I also have scheduled in time to go to the gym on the weekdays and cook healthier. Both of those things not only keep me healthy but allow for time to reflect and relax outside of the school setting. For example, I’ve been trying to do mason jar lunches with various salads. Below is a recipe I tried out this week!
I also enjoy going for runs outside or taking walks which gives me time to take in fresh air. This weekend had perfect weather for that which is also pictured below. I find that if I actively seek out time to do this, I’m much more refreshed for the week ahead of me.
The most important strategy in making sure all of these things happen is understanding that carving out time for myself, in ways that I need, will have long term benefits for my students. Understanding that having a healthy mind and body, decompressing, and scheduling in time for fun will keep me at my best is important for me to constantly reflect on. According to research done by The Guardian on the effects of keeping a healthy work-life balance for teachers, if you are mentally and physically fit, you will perform better in class which will ultimately have better outcomes for kids (The Guardian, no date). This is a big goal I have for me this year because historically I push through until I burn out which is not healthy for me or my students. Understanding that there is research that proves otherwise keeps me motivated to make sure I am carving out time for myself.
Articles:
Articles:
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2014/dec/10/ten-tips-teachers-worklife-balance
