How to recharge your batteries?

There are a lot of reasons why we, teachers, might feel exhausted, emotionally drained, or reach the point of burnout. First, we socialize a lot, sometimes almost non-stop. Second, we take responsibility. Third, we have a dozen roles to juggle, being educators, controllers, managers, planners, psychologists — you name it. It all leads to moments when some of us can have no desire whatsoever to keep working or even living our normal life. How to learn to recharge our batteries? Take a look at today’s article first.

Put your body first

I am sure you have noticed that feeling stressed or depressed one might start ignoring the needs of their body. We skip meals, don’t sleep enough, suffer from backaches and headaches, and…do nothing about that. In any case of emergency, when you notice the first signs of burnout coming, establish priorities. It’s hard to start a new hobby, go for a run, or even meet a friend for coffee when you are sleep-deprived and stressed. These simple steps should turn into routines and help a great deal. Well, ideally.

• Set a curfew for yourself. Go to bed at least today, not at 1 or 2 am. Especially if the only reason to burn the midnight oil is grading tests. Try to reduce screen time and install a blue light filter app, for example, f.lux. It will increase the quality of your sleep. An app for analyzing and tracking your sleep can also work wonders as it will wake you up at the most perfect time. 
• Eat. If you are in a constant morning rush, think of some make-ahead breakfasts. Pack your lunch. Sometimes we have to force ourselves into eating, but — a bit of conventional wisdom — food gives us energy which is necessary to keep going.
• Exercise. Opt for something more enjoyable than tiring for you. It can be yoga, stretching, boxing, a 10-minute-long morning set, a simple stroll, or even a massage. Any sport that makes you feel good will help your body release endorphins which can easily turn a bad working day around.
• Have a medical check-up. Our brain and body affect our well-being and performance a lot. For instance, low vitamin D status is associated with reduced work productivity. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue or depression resulting in impaired quality of life and working capacity. Check it out!

Establish routines

Routines provide a sense of structure and give us a feeling of security. So when everything else may seem out of control, our routines remain in place and you remain sane. Make sure you follow specific routines daily even if it’s as small as an anti-stress colouring page or a morning cup of coffee. Also, sticking to our routines and ticking little boxes either on paper or in our mind can give us a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Try straightaway — make a list of 5 doable things for tomorrow. Let it include a variety of nice, pleasant, and important activities.

Schedule your hobbies

Do you have a hobby which has nothing to do with your work? If not, reflect on something you enjoyed doing and, probably, get back to it. This shouldn’t include reading work-related CPD books! If you are looking for ways to develop your teaching skills, consider signing up for a workshop or a course so there’s a designated time and place. This way it won’t creep in on your personal time.

Unlike another webinar on teaching, half an hour of a pleasant activity can help anyone clear their head and get a new lease of life. Why schedule, you may ask. Well, because when we feel a bit down, we normally limit our activity to the most crucial things. Self-care, hobbies, meetings with friends are the first to be sacrificed. If you plan some me-time in advance, you are more likely to stick to the plan. In this case, a hobby can have a truly therapeutic effect. 

Set boundaries

We all have emergencies, for sure. Sometimes it’s necessary to work late, to leave school after 10, or to be in touch 24/7. The key word here is ‘sometimes’. If you feel that you need to restore your mental health and regain strength, it’s a good idea to delegate some of the things you are doing or even put them on hold. Setting clear work boundaries means that you won’t check your group chats or emails after your working day is over., or you’ll only grade papers until a favorite TV show starts, or maybe you’ll never work on Saturdays. Whatever boundaries you set for yourself, stick to them to ensure balance in your life. How to start? By saying ‘no’ to something that doesn’t fit in with your working hours, for example. ‘No, I’d love to help, but I just have too much on my plate right now.’ will do as well.

Have a change of scene

New experiences and emotions are beneficial when it comes to recharging the batteries. They can energize you when things are already going a bit wrong or you feel drained. It doesn’t have to be something big like moving house or starting a new hobby. Some petty things will work well too:

• Go to work differently. Ride your bike, walk, take a taxi if you never do. Get off a couple of bus stops earlier and take a stroll. Choose an alternative root.
• Cook something you’ve never tried before. Or even better — invite friends over and cook together.
• Play a new board game with family or friends. Try not to think of possible ways of using it with your students!
• Take a class on a subject unrelated to your work — something you’ve always been interested in, but never made the time to pursue. Watercolour painting, coding, Zumba — the choice is all yours.
• Visit a suburb in your city or a neighbouring town, just somewhere you haven’t explored much. 
• Call a friend you haven’t spoken to recently and have a good long chat.
• Start a blog or keep a daily journal. 

These are just some of the ideas which can brighten your day and fill you with emotions and vivid impressions.

Of course, the best piece of advice for anyone who feels exhausted is to learn to rest before you get tired. However, the ideas mentioned in the article can help a teacher feel rejuvenated and get back to normal, fulfilling life. Take care of yourself and don’t forget to put things on hold for a while.

What helps you to recharge your batteries?