Dr. Melissa Read

Kesa, Excellent plan. Sounds like you have the right approach already in place. My best recommendation for instructors in this situation is to just go with it. Dr. Melissa Read

Jeffrey, Sounds like you have made some important improvements to your life in the way of coping with stress. Great work! Yes, exercise and reading are two very different coping mechanisms that often help us achieve the same results. They really balance themselves out too when done together. Dr. Melissa Read

Stephen, You make a good point about repetitive work. It can be a little easier to process as we are often more efficient. For too many tasks in the queue however, prioritization is still most effective. Dr. Melissa Read

Stephen, Thanks for sharing. This system likely works well when you don't have too many tasks coming into your queue. As your task list grows however, you might consider prioritizing a little to keep on top of the most important things. Dr. Melissa Read

Freddie, That sounds like an excellent strategy! Stretching and jogging work hand and hand in helping people cope with stress. If it doesn't take a way to much from your experience, you might consider inviting others to join you in this exercise routine to share some of the benefits. Dr. Melissa Read

Creighton, Sounds like your role is particularly stressful and you have stress coming at you from all sides! That can be tough. At a guess, the only people who really understand what you are going through are people in your exact same position at your career school. If you haven't done so already, I might recommend you reach out to them to connect on shared experiences. This could really help you learn more about how others are managing through stress and give you some ideas for how to best move forward. Dr. Melissa Read

Shelly, Indeed true! Using both of these methods will significantly speed your grading. As an additional benefit, these methods will not change the depth with which your exams test student knowledge. So it's a win win! Dr. Melissa Read

Joanne, So true. For instructors, schedules change each semester or term and this can throw off your routine. To your points, this can impact your personal life. While we cannot always control these changes, some instructors try to find ways of holding other things in their lives constant. For example, you could try to teach the same classes from term to term. This way, you do have some consistency and time savings to rely on. Dr. Melissa Read

Lisa, Sounds like you have some wonderful coping mechanisms already in place. Great work! Getting a good night's rest can be a luxury. Many instructors simply cannot fall asleep because of the stress of the day or other family members who keep them awake. You are lucky. It's also wonderful to share with others - especially those who understand your unique situation and your point of view. Dr. Melissa Read

Patricia, Totally understand where you are coming from. It's nice to always feel like we are on top of things. At the same time, some instructors struggle with immediacy. It's hard for them to put tasks down and enjoy life. If you're one of them, consider taking breaks every now and then just to treat yourself. You may find you are more productive when you return. Dr. Melissa Read