Dealing with overwhelm in teaching

Feeling overwhelmed by your workload?  I have been.  Although it’s an absolute pleasure working as a primary dance teacher and running my own business, it can also be exhausting!  Whilst I don’t have lots of reports to write, assessments to mark and parents evenings to run, I’m always busy keeping my business moving forward and juggling the busy / quite times (as is so often common with being self-employed).  Not to mention managing my kids and their own commitments / parties / illnesses.  I do admit to being a workaholic – and in some ways I’m lucky because my business is also my passion and my hobby – but I do need to make sure I have some downtime too.

So how do you cope when work seems to engulf you?

I’ve started meditating.  I dabbled in it for a while, but it’s really been in the past year that I’ve committed to it on a more regular basis.  It’s tricky to find extra time in my already jam packed day, so the only way I can squeeze it in is by getting up earlier.  It can be difficult to motivate myself to get up before the rest of the household, but it’s actually a special time – me time – and I notice the benefits too.  When I have completed 10 minutes of meditation, I feel more focused and prepared for the day.  I’m also noticeable calmer getting two small people out of the house ready for nursery and school!

I think meditation is also helping me become a better teacher – I’m now much more likely to be in the moment, rather than racing ahead through my planning in my mind.

When my mind is clearer, I feel less overwhelmed and more ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of each day.

There are plenty of different ways to meditate and lots of books, youtube clips and apps to help.  My personal favourite is HEADSPACE as it’s really user friendly and they offer a free 10 day trial.

What do you do when feeling overwhelmed with your workload?  How do you re-set  / re-charge?  And can you recommend any other meditation apps?