Dr. Melissa Read

Amanda, This is an important point. In this economy, most instructors are experiencing financial strain one way or another. Some are personally experiencing financial challenges while others are stressed as they watch close friends and family struggle financially. Dr. Melissa Read

Torria, Sounds like a great plan. Now it's time to get started. For many of us, that's the hard part. It's ok to start small and work your way up, particularly with the exercise. Dr. Melissa Read

Maria, So happy to hear that coping mechanisms are helping with your well being. I think you have the right approach in focusing on the positives too. The negatives can really drag you down and it's easy to get too wrapped up in them. Dr. Melissa Read

Amberly, This approach sounds great in theory but can be a challenge, especially around the holidays. So do try to complete things right away. At the same time, be reasonable with yourself and try to strike a good balance. Dr. Melissa Read

Brandi, Wow, this is quite a comprehensive list! It sounds like you are balancing a lot. At the same time, I really like your approach of just accepting it and moving on with life. That sounds like a healthy coping mechanism. Dr. Melissa Read

Richard, Excellent to hear that you developed a great system for you. I really like hearing that you have used your system successfully in multiple work environments - including computer help desk and now in your current role. Some organizational systems are flexible enough that - once developed - they can be used anywhere. Dr. Melissa Read

Bonnie, It's a big challenge when both instructors and our students are stressed. Yes, both groups experience many kinds of stress. My recommendation is to share some of the things you learned from this course with your students. Doing so can make everyone around you feel a little more calm, and this change can make the overall environment feel less stressful for you. Dr. Melissa Read

Stephanie, Sounds like this plan will work well for you. I should note that the right interval used to update your to do list really depends on how many tasks are coming into your queue each day and how many times the priorities of these tasks change. For instructors who have fast moving and quickly changing queues, writing to do lists frequently (even daily) is a great exercise. For instructors who experience less changes to their task lists, less frequent updates are alright. Dr. Melissa Read

Bruce, Sounds like a nice end of the week organizational activity. As we have the time, it can be really nice to reflect on our accomplishments of the week and plan out what we'll do next. I like the way you reread your list on Monday and make adjustments accordingly. Dr. Melissa Read

Pearl, This absolutely counts as exercise. Walking is one of the best ways to bring up your metabolism. It's low impact too, so you reduce your chances of sustaining a sports-related injury. I'm sure your two dogs appreciate it too! Dr. Melissa Read