I am really struggling with having no energy when I get home from work. I put so much into my classes and sometimes I feel burnt out as a result. I know there's such a thing as "teacher tired," but lately I've been feeling so burnt out and it makes me a little bitter that I'm not giving enough to the other roles I have - wife, mother, friend, etc. I don't have the energy to start working out, even though I know that's supposed to improve energy levels. How do you all deal with this? Any tips, advice, strategies...would be great. I need to balance all of this somehow without sacrificing being a good teacher. It's frustrating that I feel like I can't be all the things, if that makes sense.
I can relate, as you see in my name. My strategy is seriously to get more sleep. It is not helping me have more time w/ fam and friends though. The only way I do that is limit my online time to the wkend. I do not let myself touch a device ( not even a TV) after work M- Thursday. Also, I am retiring soon. This may cause an outcry from women's libbers...lol, but they lied. We can't have it all! Well, we can, but something has to give. I don't know anyone that I'd call an excellent wife, teacher, and mother all at the same time. I had 1 friend that I would say was an excellent mom and teacher, but she ended up divorced. She devoted her life to her kids and teaching. The main/ maybe only reason she had time for a friendship w/ me was I had kids almost the same age and our kids liked being together at the beach, park, sports, etc. Also, we worked together.There is not enough time in a day. We aren't superhuman or superwoman. You need to prioritize and figure out what you value most. Give your most energy to #1 on your list. I wish I had prioritized better years ago. My hubby is dead now and I wish I had done a lot differently. What you said makes a lot of sense to me. It is hard to be "all things." Best wishes to you!
Going for a walk in the evenings was always helpful. It actually gave me more energy. However, I’m nursing a tendon issue in my ankle, and it has really affected my mobility. Getting blood work helped me find out that my B12 and D levels were rock bottom, as is my iron sometimes. I also take a low dose of Effexor XR which was started for menopause symptoms, but kept on after my hysterectomy because I felt better on it. I also leave work at work. I had to wean myself off of bringing work home. I started out with no classroom, so I worked at home a lot. I started bringing work home only one weekends. Then I started going to school Sunday afternoon to prep for the week. Now I stay after on Fridays if needed, but I have found that I don’t need it as much as I used to. We have to stay 20 minutes after the last bus leaves, and I can usually get my work done then. Honestly, I don’t enjoy going out all that much. I’m more of a homebody. I do go out with friends sometimes, and DH and I will go out to eat or see a moci
Pick one evening to stay and get it all done at school. That's it. ONE. We made it the night that my husband worked too. My mom took the kids. GREAT time and memories for them. Although we can barely afford it, we hire a maid. Best. decision. ever!!! She came every 2 weeks for 4 hours. Even did the bedsheets. I stay off the social media and TV. I go for a walk, even if just a stroll, after supper. Often with my kids. I go to bed early...8 is not unusual...and I am not ashamed. I nap on weekends no matter what...and I stick to only sleeping in an hour as I find that makes matters worse. Am I tired...heck yeah
Hi! Maybe some of you have noticed I have not been on here for quite a while. I've been very busy with curriculum planning, grading, and all things IEPs. With that said, what I do prevent a burnout.... -I do not do ANY teacher work after 5 PM and do not start until after 8 AM (when I get to work). -I use google calendar to block out times for teaching at school, doing paperwork/busy teacher work tasks, free time, meal times, and any other task. -I also do something very exciting and fun for me EVERY Friday. (Sometimes it is go out to dinner and other times......it is make a giant ice cream sundae). LOL...I give myself time to be a kid again. Despite many tasks that a special education classroom teacher must do, I minimize the stress by setting boundaries between my teaching and home life. I love teaching, but I also love doing nothing on Sunday and on my vacations. (I do use parts of summer to work on lesson plans and other special education tasks, among teaching summer school.)
Setting my own limits has helped a lot. I do not check my school email at home. I do not bring papers home to grade. It was hard at first but now it is not, and it preserves my home time and leaves work at work. My one exception is lesson plans, which I prefer to do at home. I spend about 30-45 minutes on this every Sunday with a cup of coffee and a blanket while I’m in my pjs (it used to be more, but I’ve got good routine now). Even if I’m not stressing about work at home, though, I’m still ready to face plant into the couch at 4pm. Haven’t found a way around that. However, going to sleep early does help.
After 15 years of teaching, I still feel “teacher tired.” And I don’t have my own children. It’s a tough job.
