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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Live and Learn Series - Set Some Boundaries

Rule #11 "When the job is done, walk away." - Gibbs from NCIS

I have a piece of notebook paper magnetized to my refrigerator with this very same quote on it. I find that I am very guilty of being a workaholic and a worrywart. When something did not go absolutely perfect at school, I worry about it until it is water under the bridge. Unfortunately, things can sometimes take a couple of days to become water under the bridge. I am also constantly reading articles and scanning Pinterest for new classroom management ideas and teaching methods. 



After about 6 months of the stress that I put myself though, I finally said, "enough is enough! I've gotta change!" I went to Pinterest, yet again, for some inspiration on reducing stress and preventing teacher burnout. After reading a couple of blog posts, I saw a common theme. Setting Boundaries So I decided that I need to set some boundaries of my own between work and me time. I made a list of things that I could do to keep myself from falling into my same old workaholic and worrywart habits. Here's what I came up with:

  • Make Jess time at least 2 times a week. Mark it on the calendar with a big check mark. Jess time activities may include but are not limited to.
    • Sewing
    • Watching NCIS (My favorite show!)
    • Going to bed early
    • Taking a walk
    • Playing with my fur baby
  • Stick to your bedtime 
  • No multitasking while at home (focus on one thing at a time)
So far this has been helping greatly. Just taking a little bit of time for yourself and focusing on yourself throughout the work week helps you to realize that not every single moment and every single thing is about the job. You've gotta put you in front of your students and your career sometimes. Otherwise.. you may start to contemplate a career change, as I was starting to do.

What boundaries do you set for yourself to keep stress at bay?


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