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As educators, we have lots of paper work to do, yet not much desk time while actually at work. Many of us are forced to haul the work home, which can lead to many frustrations. Missing out on family functions, feeling guilty that you aren’t spending enough time with your children and/or partner, and not having enough time to decompress and take care of your sanity are all issues that arise. What is one to do when the work MUST be done?

·     Lots to do? Plan to complete the work in many small sessions. Breaking up what seems like a mountain of work into many small hills, can keep your outlook positive. This will also prevent you from depending solely on that one very long work session that could easily be interrupted and cause complete havoc in your work life and on your emotional state.

·     Make a schedule and stick to it. If you must take work home, be sure to plan ahead. Don’t skimp on the family and alone time. You need it to be happy and healthy. 

·     Remove yourself from your home environment. If you can allow yourself compete focus, and no distractions, you will complete that work in no time. If you can’t get out of the house, simply working alone in a closed room is helpful. I often make sure that I have snacks, so there is no need to leave my workspace, thus eliminating the possibility of distractions.

·     Let your supervisor know that you feel overloaded. By sharing your situation, you are taking charge of your wellbeing. Your supervisor might have ideas as to when you can schedule some extra work time while at school.

·     Commiserate with your peers. Sharing your situation, you will likely find that you are not alone. It is also likely that your peers have strategies that they can share. If you all share in frustrations, you can work together for change. There is power in numbers!

-Sarah Martin