Dr. Melissa Read

Cheryl, These are all tough stressors. Internal politics can be particularly challenging. It's tough when we feel like some of the people we are working with are not on our side or are even actively against our initiatives. When working through political struggles, I recommend having face-to-face conversations where possible. This can help minimize the chances of misunderstanding and strengthen your working relationships too. Dr. Melissa Read

James, so true. It's tough to separate your worlds when you have access to both of them in one location. A home office is both a blessing and a curse. It's critical in these situations to create boundaries and set expectations for people working in these kinds of environments. Dr. Melissa Read

Dixie, Nice! I like the way you are working with traffic patterns and not against them. Some cities are tough to get around in with a car. Atlanta is definitely one of them. Sounds like, in your case, working odd hours really pays off. Dr. Melissa Read

Lisa, Sounds like you have stress coming at you from all sides. That's tough. Some instructors have family or work as an outlet, but many experience stress from both of these sources. Balancing priorities in work and life can be tough too. Sounds like you are managing through it well. Dr. Melissa Read

Lisa, Sounds like you struggle with the challenge of immediacy. For a handful of instructors, procrastination isn't the problem. To your point, the problem is simply slowing down. Sometimes it's good to remind ourselves that new tasks will always be coming into our queue. Taking a break often means approaching these tasks with more energy when you return. Dr. Melissa Read

Rebecca, Yes, that's a good way of putting it. I like to say that it allows us to press the reset button. It's really important to recharge. Dr. Melissa Read

Dixie, So true. Our effectiveness at one task often largely depends on how well we can complete others. If we can get ahead in one area of our work, it usually positively impacts other areas. Dr. Melissa Read

Jeremy, That's a great outlook an approach. Modern life can be tough. On one hand, we have access to such great technology that we can use to support us. On the other hand, sometimes the technology itself can make life more complicated. Taking each day one day at a time is a great approach. Dr. Melissa Read

Lori, Sounds like you are balancing a lot of stress right now, compounded from difference sources in life. That's really tough. Do you have some coping mechanisms that you use to deal with all of this? I appreciate your sharing it all with us in this forum. Sometimes sharing is a good first step. Dr. Melissa Read

Julie, That sounds like a tough spot. Often times in teaching, we are asked to 'do more with less.' As resources and people decrease, we are often pushed to our limits. Everyone has a threshold and sounds like you are just about there. Stay strong. Dr. Melissa Read