Dr. Melissa Read

Rebecca, Yes, many of us lean more toward immediacy than procrastination. That's typically a good thing but can get us into trouble sometimes. Sometimes it's nice just to take a step back and take a break. Taking a break can help us be more effective when we return to our tasks. Dr. Melissa Read

Beverly, Yes, getting proper rest can be a huge game changer. A lot of instructors don't realize how tired they are all the time. It's hard to catch up on sleep and sometimes not possible at all. Dr. Melissa Read

Steven, Sounds like that would be a great outlet for you. It's important to connect with people who are experiencing the same kinds of challenges as you are. Sharing experiences and perspectives can help a lot when it comes to coping. Also, exploring solutions for minimizing stress together helps too. Dr. Melissa Read

Dixie, Sounds like you have made an important breakthrough about your efficiency and about how it is impacted by others. Great work! Yes, procrastination on other peoples' part should not necessitate emergency on your part. Sometimes you've got to just start focusing on you and your own tasks. These should be the priority. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Lindsay, Wow, sounds like you are balancing stress from a variety of sources but also managing it well. It's hard when you play so many different roles. Sometimes, simply switching between them is stressful. Sometimes we just need to take a time out for us - outside of the context of all the roles we play - to really unwind. Easier said than done with our schedules but a goal to drive toward. Dr. Melissa Read

Rebecca, Excellent to hear. I'm glad to know you have several techniques to choose from. This variety can serve us well and keep us interested in staying stress free. Dr. Melissa Read

William, This is an important observation. There's a great amount of variability in our days, weeks and even semesters as instructors. One problem student can cause a semester long of stress. On the flip side, one great class can carry you through many months or even a year. As instructors, setting our expectations that this is the way our careers work is very important to ensuring we feel comfortable with things. Dr. Melissa Read

Jumana, Sounds like you have developed at least two great coping mechanisms for dealing with stress. Great work! Also, it's nice that one of your ways of dealing with stress benefits your children too! Dr. Melissa Read

Vance, Yes, sometimes sharing and getting feedback from others is the best approach. It can be great to use friends or colleagues as a sounding board when exploring new solutions. They too may have some good ideas for you! Dr. Melissa Read

Michael, So true. Just knowing you have a fallback plan for managing through stress is often enough to get you through your days. Dr. Melissa Read