so it begins...in which i make resolutions about work-life balance

School, at least for teachers, started last week. Kids come in tomorrow. Given that we had a packed schedule full of meetings, registration, and no occupancy permits for trailers til Friday, I don't think the first week went half bad. A building full of new staff, including 10 new teachers, so there's the potential for fresh happy attitudes.

I am already hearing the rumbling of job dissatisfaction and griping about admin, via social media, though, so I'm remembering that this is the year that I'm going to re-set my boundaries...

1.  Ground, shield, and center before my feet touch the pavement of the school property. Do NOT tap into the crazy. I can't be effective in my work when I'm sucking up my colleague's complaints, my administrator's pendulum-like energy, and the simmering vibrations of 1000 children. Yes, all this sounds woo-woo. But I just do better by taking a moment.

2.  Make mornings less frantic. Pre-cook breakfasts for the week in the form of baked oatmeal, shoyu eggs, grabbable fruit. Pack lunch the night before. Have my clothes ironed, and ready to wear. I allow myself 45 minutes to actually prepare myself, and I don't want to spend 15 of that running around trying to assemble food, and deciding what to wear.

3.  Be outside as much as possible. There is no need to spend traveling time using the halls on campus. Outside time makes me happy. Eat lunch on the porch of the trailer if the weather is at all pleasant. Open doors and windows.

4.  Purge, purge, purge. My trailer and my office are jam-packed with teaching materials that I no longer use. Re-home this shit. I was supposed to do that last year, but last year was a battle of motivation and moods even to figure out what my job was, as a writing teacher, so this year, I will start anew with the shedding years of teacherhoarding. I'm hauling the stuff to the thrift stores, too, not dithering around waiting for coworkers to decide whether or not they may need it. I will set up a box, labeled "OUT" and when it's full (or easily carry-able by me up to my car) I will drive by the donation center en route home.

5.  4:00 is go-time. Gym time, walk time, yoga time. Last year, I worked so late, getting so little done, spinning my wheels, and then I'd go home exhausted and depressed. This year, I'm just going home. I am under no illusions that I can bail every day at 3, but I CAN make a cup of tea and work til 4 and call that my late days. By setting 4 as my exercise time, I'll be more likely to get out. I may need to stay later for Nature Club and school gardening, but since that's my pet project, that's the exception.

6.  Initiate Project Z. Get some sleep. Screens off by 8pm, soothing music, chamomile tea, clean bedroom, melatonin, whatever it takes to get some Z's.

7.  Pace myself. Stay on top of lesson plans, grading, deadlines. This is so very not in my wheelhouse, but I'm going to try, if for no other reason than to save my Sundays from being hysterical spinning.

There. I've put it down there. I want to reassess how this is working, after a few weeks, not because I want to scale back any of it, but because I need to recommit to it.