Making more time for you.
I have used the process of lecture preparation, finding better ways of organization, and able to accomplish my tasks more effectively.
Diana, So true! That's often the point of our work but something most of us forget. We should be able to enjoy all that we have earned every now and then. Also, taking a little time for you can make you far more effective when returning to your work in the future.
Dr. Melissa Read
we always forgot about time for ourself because is to many things to do for the others, we should prioritized time to enjoy the life.
I love this idea. I use it often. I have a set number of lectures saved to my thumb drive and just go over them before I use them each time and add new information.
Tammy, That's wonderful to hear. Once me make an initial investment in preparing our teaching materials, we usually find great time savings in future semesters. I should note that even if your lecture materials feel complete, it's always a good idea to spend a little time refreshing them each semester. This helps us make sure the information is always current.
Dr. Melissa Read
Gail, So true. When we invest time in ourselves, we are often better at helping others. Not doing so can have serious negative impacts on our job performance.
Dr. Melissa Read
I agree it is important to schedule time for self every day to decompress. Otherwise, your career, teaching ability, and interactions with other faculty and students are affected. I find mediation, guided imagery and yoga to be invaluable.
I have reworked my teaching materials so that I don't have to remember what I need to supplement, it is all in the powerpoints. That makes it easier for me to stay on track and help my students as well.
Rochele, Sounds like you are balancing a lot of family priorities. This can be tough. It also sounds like you have a busy schedule of your own. Some of the stress you are experiencing may be temporary. For example, your school work will eventually be complete. Other stress is more long term however. You might check around and see if any of your family members could take on some of your responsibilities, or even just help from time to time.
Dr. Melissa Read
This is a subject that ius very important and I am still in the process of working on also I have 5 children 3 step children my husband this fulltime job and I just started school again so as you can see it can be hard to find "me" time but I know it is important.
Carmen, So true! Far too often, we prioritize everyone and everything except for ourselves. Short term, it seems easy and reasonable to sacrifice our needs. Long term however, this approach can really wear us down.
Dr. Melissa Read
Sometimes we are the last person we make time for. Through the years I have learned to prioritized time for myself. This keeps stress levels down and productivity high.
I'm not there yet!!! But, everyday -- Now I'm trying to take care of myself with less stress.
I have been re organizing and streamlining my lectures to be more time efficient. It is working for me.
