Dr. Melissa Read

Michelle, Knitting is such a great hobby and stress outlet. What's wonderful about it is that we can do it almost anywhere. Also, we can end up making really nice items for ourselves and others, giving ourselves great satisfaction! Dr. Melissa Read

Jan, Excellent to hear. It sounds like resetting your own expectations has resulted in a greater sense of control for you. I would have expected the opposite, but this is a wonderful outcome. Dr. Melissa Read

Nichole, So true. I should note that occasionally when we procrastinate, the challenges we experience resolve themselves. This can be reinforcing. However this is not the case most of the time so to-do lists can be a lifesaver! Dr. Melissa Read

Michael, It sounds like you are dealing with stress from many sources. You are not alone. Everything you mentioned in your list is very common for people who work in education. You might consider reaching out and talking to one of your colleagues about your stress when things get tough. At a guess, they are experiencing the same kinds of challenges as you. Dr. Melissa Read

Alicia, It sounds like you are mostly on track. Great work. Yes, a small modification could make a big difference. Go ahead and give it a try. You can always build on a great foundation. Dr. Melissa Read

Leticia, Sounds like a good approach with respect to volunteering. While it's wonderful to be in a position to help, sometimes we have to help ourselves and focus on our families before we can take care of others. Dr. Melissa Read

Dawn, Sounds like you are balancing stress from both workplace and home environments. You are not alone. A lot of instructors find themselves in a similar position. Staying on top of priorities from each environment is key to managing through each day effectively. Dr. Melissa Read

Alain, Sounds like a great new system for you. Go ahead and give a check list a try. At a guess, you'll experience some wonderful benefits. Sometimes when we see all our tasks on paper, it really helps us gain clarity on our priorities. Dr. Melissa Read

Esperanza, Thanks for your honest assessment. While it varies from instructor to instructor, I like to believe that more than 20% of our life's circumstances are actually within our control. Sometimes we've got to take control instead of sitting back and letting things happen too. Dr. Melissa Read

Leticia, You are definitely not alone. Reading instructions is critically important for student success, yet it seems to be a big challenge. I once knew of an instructor who would require his students to re-articulate the test instructions in their own words as a first question on exams. This motivated the students to really tune in to what was being asked of them and to internalize it in their own language. Dr. Melissa Read