These are more general taking care of yourself stress relievers.
1. Say No
2. Set aside at least 30 min. a day for you - meditate, say the Rosary,
take a walk, take a bath, create YOUR art (no connection to the
classroom)
3. At the end of the day, keep a positive journal list the things that
went right with your day.
4. Smile and say good morning to everyone as you walk into the school
each morning. Do the same leaving each evening
5. Use a timer - have household chore(s) you need to do set a timer and
do as much as you can in that time then let the rest go for a while
6. Know your own rhythms - I need down time without human contact or I
get cranky. I get up early and just enjoy the silence and take care of
chores. Hey I get my laundry, and weeks worth of shopping done before
most people are out of bed on Sundays - Then I go to early Mass without
the crowd.
7. Do small nice things for yourself - my cousin gave me a nice tray
with a cup and spoon. When I made breakfast this morning, I used the
tray to carry my gritts (in the large cup she gave me) and eggs (on my
great-aunt's china) to the table. It felt much more relaxing that eating
off the plastic pool plates I've been using.
7. Tourist Weekends - Pick one weekend a month and be a tourist in your
hometown. I have a budget per week for other things (after all the bills
are paid). I saved as much as I could each week and from that saved
money purchased memberships to the Zoo, Museum Fine Arts Houston, and
Natural History Museum. On the last weekend of the month, I, go to some
tourist spot - the museums, a park, the beach and relax. It doesn't have
to be expensive - hey it can be nearly free. Think budget traveler bring
a picnic, try Sundays instead of Saturdays. The reason I do it on the
last weekend is my niece (sister's stepdaughter). If there is a 5th
weekend, that is a Daddy weekend. So on the 5th weekends I invite my
sister's family to join me, wherever I'm going. Sometimes they come,
sometimes they don't. I get to enjoy their company without feeling
obligated to invite them all the time.
8. Recognize that the stress you are feeling may not be all school
related. You are focusing on your job and your kids, but you survived
the most deadly attack on civilians in the history of the world (we are
all survivors, and we all grieve), the US and Britain are at war with a
terrorist organization, the middle east peace so promising a short time
ago has fallen apart, two unstable nuclear powers are at each others
throats, and if you are in Texas you face the recent threat made against
our schools and children. Cut yourself some slack.
9. Unless your God - don't try to be perfect just do a little better
each day.
Kimberly
-----Original Message-----
From: Martha Ulakovits [mailto:MSQU@atlantic.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 12:09 AM
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Subject: RE: Cut down on stress
A couple of months ago I found myself thinking surely I didn't go to
school
for this. Last week I told my principal I would not be back to teach in
2002-3. Now this is unlike me. I am the one that cheers others on. I
often
have reflected over the years how much I like my job! So I had to
wonder.
Could it be STRESS!?! During the holiday visits with three of my sisters
(also teachers), I decided that before I just walked away, I would give
it
the stress test. I would find ways to reduce the stress level and then
see
if I still felt like leaving. To this end, I would like other elementary
art
teachers who are teaching at low performing schools populated with
violent
students to think about how all of us can reduce our stress.
I thought maybe I might make a list of things that get my pressure up
and
then try to approach each item.
Any ideas?
Martha
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