Dr. Melissa Read

Maryrose, On one hand, it sounds like you are on top of things. On the other, you may be struggling a bit with immediacy. Trying to pack a little less into your days may be a healthy approach and one to seriously consider. Dr. Melissa Read

Michelle, Interesting. Both of your approaches show us that sometimes our effectiveness in managing stress is all about the way we perceive it and coping mechanisms in the first place. Dr. Melissa Read

William, Yes, these are all sources of stress. Night classes can be particularly challenging as we go from our day jobs to them. Many instructors don't make time to eat and this can be particularly hard. Bringing snacks can help in these situations - even if it means eating them in the car. Dr. Melissa Read

Eloise, Sounds like a good plan. Taking a little extra time for you can make a substantial difference on your productivity and on how you feel. Dr. Melissa Read

Denise, It sounds like you have identified and successfully used a variety of positive coping mechanisms and outlets to deal with stress. That's wonderful to hear. It's great to have multiple outlets to fall back on. This way, if one fails you have many others! Dr. Melissa Read

Evangeline, That sounds tough. As it relates to finding resources, you might try doing some Google searches to see where you land. While you will have to carefully assess anything on the internet for quality, I have found that you can find some real gems there. Also, try going into online forums and connecting with people who teach the same course as you from all over the world. These typically have a world of great resources to share. Dr. Melissa Read

Sharon, It sounds like you have a good handle on both what you are doing right and what needs to improve in your life. That's a great place to start. A lot of instructors take many years to come to these conclusions. You don't have to be perfect, but you might consider just slowly reducing those coping mechanisms that you know are unhealthy and slowing increasing ones that you feel good about. Dr. Melissa Read

Lacey, Excellent to hear. Running is a great way to relieve stress. It's hard to get started with this kind of exercise routine, but once you get into it it's hard to stop! Dr. Melissa Read

Rae Lynne, This makes sense and there are a lot of instructors who work the same way you do. It's a lot easier to get into tasks that you enjoy. Sometimes easy but mildness lasts are really hard to get started. At the same time and to your point, when people depend on you for those smaller tasks, it's important to get them done. Otherwise, you may face challenges in your workplace relationships and this can be tough. Dr. Melissa Read

Prairie, I understand where you are coming from. There are a lot of instructors who like to check small tasks off their lists as confidence builders. They are only able to turn their attention to the bigger tasks when their minds are clear of these smaller things. It's ok to take a balanced approach - allowing yourself to address a few smaller tasks while also chipping away at the larger ones. Also, don't be afraid to break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Dr. Melissa Read