Beginners Guide to Work-Life Balance for Teachers
Just this past Monday, I faced the craziness of teacher life. There was supposed to be a fire drill and then there wasn’t, a child was sick to their stomach with anxiety in the middle of teaching, emails from parents and administration were flooding my inbox as I tried to teach, special area time changed right as I was about to take my kiddos to specials, and I was answering emails well into my lunch period. Right after my lunch break, I was walking quickly to the restroom as my short break was coming to a close. One moment, I was passing two second grade classes in the hallway, the next I was sprawled out on my back on the tiled floor.
One moment, I was passing two second grade classes in the hallway, the next I was sprawled out on my back on the tiled floor .
I hadn’t noticed a puddle of water by the water fountain… My feet had gone straight out from under me, and I landed on my elbow and back. The second graders just stood there gawking at me as I awkwardly said, “Well, that was dangerous! We should get this cleaned up!” A 2nd grade teacher helped me to my feet. “This is the Mondayest of Mondays,” was my thought as I sopped up the puddle. I went home to my husband so fatigued and drained. The will to do anything productive with my evening was hanging by a thread.
Whether you’ve been sprawled out on the ground or not, we’ve all had these days as educators. And unfortunately, these days are more common than not in our field of work. How do teachers not allow their work life to intrude on their personal life?
What Even is Work-Life Balance for Teachers?
Work life balance is the ability to do an excellent job during the day with your students and still be able to enjoy family, friends, take care of yourself, and use your evenings and weekends productively.
Regardless of what you’ve heard or even personally experienced, you need to embrace the fact that work life balance for teachers is not impossible! It just takes a little thought and a lot of follow-through.
How to GET STARTED with Work-Life Balance
Before you do anything else, you need to grab a coffee, sit down and look at your weekly schedule. I am talking from the time you wake to the time you sleep. You will not be successful with your work-life balance until you BUDGET your time.
You will not be successful with your work-life balance until you BUDGET your time.
Schedule everything, from your morning routine to work, to rest, and everything in between. All aspects of your day must have a place in your schedule.
3 Tips for SUCCESS in Finding Your Teacher Work-Life Balance
- The best way to find success in your pursuit of balance is to stick to your schedule, but give yourself lots of grace. Life gets crazy! You won’t always be able to stick to what you have planned; but if one day gets off, pick it back up the next day.
- Additionally, find accountability and community in your life. This could be a friend, coworker, or spouse who regularly holds you accountable to what you have set out to do.
- Lastly, reevaluate yourself, your methods, and your schedule periodically. What is going well? What could you do better? What adjustments could you make to your daily life to set you up for better success?
5 Common Concerns Teachers Have When Getting Started:
1. How can I leave work at a reasonable time?
Grade what is necessary. Arrive a little earlier if possible to get things done in the morning. Try to plan and work ahead as much as possible. Let it go. I know our teacher minds always think “it” could be better, and maybe that’s true, but you did enough for today. It’s okay to go home.
2. How do I find time to workout?
Budget that time! Make it a priority! Some work days might go longer. Maybe you can’t do a complete 1 hour workout at the gym. Hop onto a HIIT app or the 7 minute workout app and do a couple rounds of those to get your heart-rate up. Also, one of my favorite best-kept secrets is the incline on the treadmill. Put that incline as high up as you can at a walking pace, and in 20 minutes you will burn 200+ calories.
3. How do I have time to eat healthy food?
Do simple meal preps over the weekend. Find a friend, family member, or significant other to make some meals with you. You can simply cook rice, protein, and some produce in bulk and be ready to go for the week. Turn on some fun music, and enjoy having most of your meals prepared in advance. Additionally, have on hand some healthy protein bars, nuts, veggies/fruit. This will keep you from snacking on the not-so-healthy stuff in the cafeteria or break room at work.
4. How can I set my mindset for the day?
Prioritize 10 minutes each morning to think over your day and journal about it briefly. What will you be doing? When? What will you do to make the most of each moment? Write out 3 things you are thankful for each morning. Determine that you will live your day with a positive mindset.
5. How do I stick with all of this- it sounds like a lot of work?!
Give yourself lots of GRACE! Take one step at a time, and you will get there. Remember finding your balance is a process. If you stick with it, I assure you, you will have more headspace and freedom in your life each day to accomplish the things that matter to you most.
2 Easy Ways to Take Back Your Work-life Balance Starting Today!
So even on the days where you find yourself lying in a puddle of water in front of 40 Second Graders, you can do it! Embrace the crazy, and don’t give up. Take time for yourself. Take care of your health. Enjoy your loved ones. Embrace living.
Embrace the crazy, and don’t give up. Take time for yourself. Take care of your health. Enjoy your loved ones. Embrace living.
Life can be hectic, it takes work to find balance. However, it’s SO worth it! And most importantly, I am here to help! That is why I have created a FREE Weekly Work-Life Balance Printable for you! Feel free to download, use, and share this resource as you begin restoring the balance to your life.
Additionally, you’ll find success by surrounding yourself with a positive community. This is why I’ve created a private facebook group for Growing Young Minds followers. In this group, you’ll find a positive community, a safe place to share struggles and successes, and the accountability needed to be successful! We would love for you to join our group today – Click here
