Finding Balance: A Guide to Home and Work Harmony
The holiday season is upon us, and while the festive cheer is contagious, every educator knows that the weeks leading up to a break can be a challenging juggling act. Striking the right balance between work and home life becomes an elusive goal as lesson plans, grading, and holiday preparations compete for our attention. In this blog post, I will explore the common struggles educators face before a holiday and provide practical steps to help you find equilibrium and thoroughly enjoy theiryour well-deserved break.
The struggle is real.
We get stuck wondering things like, how should I stay balanced and stress free during the holidays, when there is so much on my to do list? or How can I maintain the balance I obtained over the break, when I go back to my school?
It's hard to move forward when you’re unsure what to do.
The good news is that you can quickly bring balance to your life as an educator by strategic planning, committing to self-care, and prioritizing tasks.
In this post, I’ll define educator equilibrium and provide three ways you can find balance. I hope this will give you a roadmap to approach the holiday season with a sense of accomplishment and rejuvenation.
What is the perfect approach for educator equilibrium?
Educator equilibrium is the state in which your responsibilities at school and home are precisely balanced; how should I stay balanced and stress-free during the holidays when there is so much on my to-do list? Or how can I maintain the balance I obtained over the break when I go back so that I can have less anxiety and stress?
In other words:
Your goal, educators' common struggles before a holiday, and providing practical steps to help you find equilibrium daily is to minimize anxiety and stress by finding a harmonious balance between your professional and personal obligations.
The added benefit is that you can more effectively navigate the challenges of balancing your professional and personal lives by fostering a healthier and less stressful lifestyle.
Effectively Tackle Your Tasks
Every educator understands the unique demands of the profession, and the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance is never more pronounced than in the hectic days before a holiday break.
This is a crucial component because the pressure to wrap up the week or semester, complete grading, and plan for the post-holiday return can leave you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
Many educators new to teaching start on the right track but get stuck because their to-do lists get longer, and they need more time to complete everything.
Then, they wind up working every weekend to make ends meet and spend less and less time with their families.
The key to getting things done is to prioritize tasks, time block, and delegate when possible to your classroom team.
To get started in Prioritize Tasks, you can make a comprehensive list of things that need to be completed before the break and prioritize them based on urgency and importance. This will help you focus on what needs attention and avoid getting bogged down by less critical tasks.
To get started in time, Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks. This prevents you from overcommitting to one aspect of your work and ensures that you make steady progress across various responsibilities. For example, dedicate a morning to grading, an afternoon to lesson planning, and an evening to holiday preparations.
To start delegating when possible: Remember, you don't have to do everything alone. If there are tasks that can be delegated to teaching assistants or colleagues, don't hesitate to ask for help. Delegating not only lightens your load but also fosters a sense of teamwork within your classroom community.
Creating Clear Boundaries
Boundaries are about knowing where your role as an educator stops.
If you’ve spent hours writing lesson plans, prepping for the week, and doing paperwork, but something still feels off—like you’re not getting joy from the task and becoming more stressed—this is likely the missing piece.
Without boundaries, you can become overwhelmed and sick and not maintain the harmonious educator life you crave.
What can you do?
A beneficial technique is creating a transition routine and using technology wisely.
Could you develop a transition routine that signals the end of the workday? This could be as simple as tidying up your desk, turning off your computer, or jotting down a to-do list for the next day. This ritual helps mentally shift from teacher mode to personal time.
While technology has made it easier for us as educators to work 24 hours a day, it's crucial to use it wisely. Avoid checking work emails or logging into school platforms during your time off. Create a digital boundary that allows you to disconnect and recharge fully.
Indulging In Activities That Bring You Joy!
Doing activities that bring you joy might seem like a guilty pleasure, but doing things you enjoy regularly can help you be more productive. Those activities can help to reduce your stress levels so that you’re ready to refocus when you return to your classroom.
By indulging in things that put a smile on your face, you start to unplug, rewind, reflect, and reset your mind, body, and soul.
Of course, this will take some time, especially if you have a hard time leaving things at work, not setting boundaries, or delegating tasks.
How many hours do you spend away from your classroom/school building?
We spend countless hours in our buildings and classrooms. If we do not take a break, we might crack. Think of yourself as a computer. If you keep it plugged in, it becomes dependent on the charger, and when you take the charger away, it dies very fast.
But the computer will last longer if you only use the charger to charge the battery when it is low or needs a boost. You are just like a computer. Sometimes, you need a reset and a charge to keep going, so you need to unplug, unwind, reflect, and reset.
Once the break begins, unplug from work-related communication channels. Resist the temptation to check emails or grade assignments. Use this time to relax, recharge, and focus on personal well-being.
Take some time to reflect on the school year's past achievements and challenges. Set realistic goals for the upcoming months and consider adopting new strategies to enhance your work-life balance.
Putting it All Together for Your Perfect Educator Equilibrium
There you have it! The three components of your perfect educator are work and home balance.
It may sound like a lot, but like most things, practice makes perfect. Just focus on a tiny step at a time. This will help you lessen your anxiety and stress when you are about to go on a school break or holiday, and it will help you balance both your home and educator responsibilities.
What’s next? Download The Weekly Preparation Checklist!
If you need help getting started, you can check out my weekly preparation checklist. This checklist will help you get things done that matter most in your classroom so you can spend your off-time with family and friends.
Finding balance as a teacher before the holidays is undoubtedly a challenge, but it's entirely achievable with strategic planning and a commitment to self-care. You can approach the holiday season with a sense of accomplishment and rejuvenation by prioritizing tasks, leaving work at school, and embracing a well-deserved break. Remember, rested and recharged, you are better equipped to inspire and educate your students, making an effort to find balance well worth it.
Nicolette Lesniak is an experienced special education teacher, IEP Coach, Special Education Consultant, curriculum designer, and presenter. Nicolette Lesniak has presented at regional and national education conferences and is available for school and district professional development sessions. She can be reached at hello@nicolettelesniak.com or www.nicolettelesniak.com.
