3 Ways to Prevent Overworking as an Educator
Overworking is an easy thing to do these days! With technology and the nature of the teaching, you could be working 24/7. But you and I know that overworking yourself doesn’t benefit anyone. Below, check out strategies to prevent overworking this year.
Define when you’re working and when you’re not using a physical planner like this one
1) Choose a Consistent Time to be Done
This is pretty straightforward. No one is going to choose a time to be done with work for the day but you. You might answer these questions:
When will you arrive and leave the school building?
Will you allow for work time after you leave school?
At what times will you be completely removed from your work computer, work emails, and work notifications?
Do your work hours feel sustainable or do you need to cut back or allow for another hour somewhere to complete tasks?
It doesn’t have to be super rigid, but it is helpful to have a guideline of when you will be done for the day.
Example: Most days, I leave the school building at 4:30pm. I don’t do work at night or on weekends except before big grading deadlines.
You might get a visible timer like this one to help you complete work tasks within a reasonable timeframe.
2) Get Picky About Which Work Tasks You Start
We only have so much time, energy, and focus in a day, so it’s important to choose your tasks wisely. Wasting energy on less important tasks will leave you exhausted for the things that actually matter. Make sure you are focusing your efforts on the most important tasks first - and work on less important tasks only if time and energy allows. A helpful rule of thumb is to ask these three questions before starting a task:
Does it need to be done by me? (Is it in your job description or does it require your expertise? Is it within your realm of responsibility?)
Does it need to be done today? (Can you do this another day?)
Does it need to be done at all? (Is it actually important for student growth and safety?)
Example: Today, my top priority is completing the lesson plans for Monday and Tuesday.
Actually relax during relaxation time, perhaps with a grounding stress reliever like this wrap
3) Be Intentional with Rest
Rest isn’t just not doing work tasks. You could spend an entire evening doing productive activities like laundry or a workout class you hate and you’d likely go to bed wound up. Instead, choose an activity that actually feels like rest or play to you - ideally every day - so you can come back to school actually reset and rejuvenated. If you enjoy the process of the activity, that’s a good sign you’re on the right track. You might ask:
What activities feel relaxing to me?
What activities feel rejuvenating?
What activities help me to reset to a place of calm?
The answers can differ wildly - Maybe you decide you really need that weekly community soccer match. Or you want to read for pleasure each night before bed. Or you want to paint right after work to process the day.
Remember, no one benefits when you’re pushing yourself to the brink. If you are feeling overworked or noticing signs of burnout, it’s likely you are pushing too hard. Come back to these strategies to ease up and make your work experience more sustainable and enjoyable.
How do you prevent overworking during the school week? Let us know your ideas in the comments below!