Time Management – Teaching, Traveling, and Talking

Anxiety, Anxious, Career, Food, Help Needed, High Functioning Anxiety, Job, Kids, Mental Health, Questions, Students, Teach, Teaching, Time Management

Anxiety Tips

February 10, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

In my last post, I explained some triggers for anxiety. Dealing with anxiety myself, I was able to see some of the five biggest reasons for anxiety coming on and coming on strong.

As stated before, I have high functioning anxiety. However, there are multiple types of anxiety that range from looking completely normal to outsiders to not being able to leave your house or enjoy social outings. So how does one function or overcome anxiety?

Honestly, I don’t know if I can say you completely “beat” it, but you are able to cope with it. One of my longest friends has dealt with anxiety for years, but it worsened when she was hit hard with depression as well. She felt helpless and didn’t know where to turn. As I spoke with her this week, she followed some of the same tips I did when my anxiety seemed out of control. After a month, she was able to have a positive conversation and see the importance of mental health. Is this a cure all post? Absolutely not. However, I wanted to provide some tips for those who may not know where to turn, what do do, or how to get their mental health under control.

Included are 5 tips to help you cope with anxiety.

Breathing Techniques–While in counseling and even seeing medical doctors, I found that breathing techniques became a way to give me a moment of peace. Sure, it didn’t cure the anxiety, but it gave me a moment of help when things were hectic. The saying “just breath” makes every single person with anxiety want to hit you over the head with a frying pan. Learning how to breathe is a different story. Counting to ten did NOTHING for me. Alright, 1,2,3….this does nothing. For some it helps, but I found focusing on my breathing was what I needed. Deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. The breathing was quick and short when I started. I had to learn how to take in deep breaths and zone out everything else. Only my breathing. I also found that sticking my head between my knees while breathing truly helped. It calmed down my heart rate, lessened any dizziness, and I could focus on just my needs. Instead of focusing on my anxiety, I would purposefully turn my thoughts to something positive. It wasn’t easy at first. Plain and simple. It takes time folks. You have to retrain your brain how to think and even your body on how to respond.
Therapy/Counseling–-Going to talk to someone about your problems at a large financial rate seems silly and pointless to many individuals. Why should I tell someone else about my problems? They can’t help me. Talking about it won’t do a thing, I need actions. Well, for some individuals, this is a life saving action. Therapy and counseling has changed over the years as well. Sure, you can talk to someone one-on-one or even in a group setting. However, mobile apps, texting, video chats, email, and online chats can be a form of help as well. If you’re unconfortable meeting with someone (especially those with social anxiety) try a form of email, phone call, or even texting at first. Let me stress this though–mental health apps are not an alternative for professional therapy, but it can help with day-to-day issues and stress. Going to therapy was a big step for me. An embarrassing step to be completely honest. It took almost 6 months before I saw results. One session does not fix years of anxiety and stress. Yet, I saw results. Going and seeing a professional was a life changing experience for my mental health. I no longer saw it as a weakness, but strength because I was reaching out and asking for help. My therapist gave me techniques and tips for managing my anxiety (many that I’m sharing with you), and gave me “homework” to do at home to help with my specific issues. If you’re sick or have a physical problem, we go to a doctor. If you’re having problems with your mental health, go see a mental health doctor. There is no shame.
Media Hiatus–-Why does taking a social media break help those with anxiety? Well, recent studies have found that social media has changed peoples lives…and not for the good. More people have reported feeling worried and/or uncomfortable when media outlets are not accessible. People panic without their phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The fear of “missing out” on something increases, and, believe it or not, social media is more addictive than cigarettes. Social media prevents individuals from even sleeping! Those with anxiety are more prone to compare their lives to everyone around them and despair when it is not living up to this fictional picture. Yes, I say fictional. Marriage is not always perfect. Your house, not perfect. Your life, not perfect. However, through the lens of social media and picture filters, everyone else looks perfect. As stated in my previous post as well, this makes a perfectionist’s anxiety go through the roof. Take a break from social media! When my anxiety was at it’s highest, I shutdown my Facebook for 40 days. Woah! Tough, but as each day went by, it became easier and easier. I didn’t care about someone liking my post or photos. My relationship with my husband (at that time fiancé) became closer, and my anxiety slowly lessened as I couldn’t compare my life with those around me or worry about how many likes I may receive. Although it causes anxiety for some at the beginning, it’s almost a time of rehab and getting a true reality check. Read more here.
Body–Part of anxiety includes multiple aspects of taking care of your body! So what should you do/try?
- Exercise–Not only does exercise help you become healthier and stronger, but it also releases endorphins, which triggers positive feelings into the body.
- Eating Healthy–Eating better helps clear up your skin, keep your mind sharp, and give you energy for the day. Don’t skip meals, and keep healthy snacks for energy boosts throughout the day. With anxiety, comes indulging in junk food or “comfort” food, not eating, or eating too much. Find a food that is healthy and you like. This is probably one of the hardest aspects of life to change, but it can help you balance and control the anxiety.
- Sleep–Aim towards 8 hours of sleep each night. Oh no. Definitely difficult with anxiety as I stated in my previous post. So what should you do/try? Limit screen time before bed and even turn it off completely. Do NOT check social media in the middle of the night. Again, turn it off. Have your phone set for only your alarm and emergency calls. Try a few things before bed like reading, listening to music (I prefer classical or instrumentals), yoga, and breathing techniques. Set a routine. We do this to our children, why not yourself? Set a bedtime and stick to it. Again, it will be difficult in the beginning, but over the weeks you will see results.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol–these two can trigger or aggravate anxiety. Drink more water instead!
Medicine–This is always a touchy topic. Why? Some people think that medicine shouldn’t be used to treat mental health. Others don’t want to depend on medicine for the rest of their lives. Some are simply embarrassed at the idea. My experience with anxiety medicine–it took the edge off, but I needed the other four tips from above too. A small pill (with a low dose) did not fix me over night. The side effects of the medicine did not settle well with my body, and I had to adjust my dosage and type of medicine to combat that issue as well. For some individuals, medicine helps and gets them to a place where they can fully manage the anxiety. Others don’t need it. I am NOT a medical professional. Speak with your doctor first on this issue. They will know how to help you in the best way!

Will all of these steps heal your anxiety? Probably not. Can they help? Yes. Give them a try and see the results. Worse case scenario, it doesn’t work. On the other hand, it may just help you and your mental health.

xoxo

Your Wanderer

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Anxiety, Anxious, Career, Graduate Degree, Graduate School, Help Needed, High Functioning Anxiety, Job, Kids, Mental Health, Teach, Teaching, Time Management, Travel Italy

Living with High Functioning Anxiety

February 7, 2018February 7, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Let’s talk about anxiety. High functioning anxiety.

Why?

Women are more likely to experience anxiety.
People from North America and Western Europe are more likely to be affected by anxiety.
Anxiety affects 18.1% of adults in the U.S.
Estimates of 30% of people don’t seek help
Around 10% of those with anxiety…seek effective help.

As a teacher and traveler, I find myself battling with anxiety. No. I’m not talking about stress and I smack a label on it with anxiety. I don’t go around telling every individual that I struggle with anxiety. Sure, I talk about awareness with friends and family, but I don’t use my anxiety as an excuse at work or even at home.

There are so many types of anxiety disorders too: general anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, etc.

I have High Functioning Anxiety. So what’s it like? Truly like? What are triggers?

Restlessness–The brain does NOT shut off. This is a common symptom for people with anxiety, and women. Why women? Well, studies show that a woman’s brain chemistry is different and hormone fluctuations are also linked to anxiety. Women are more prone to stress, react differently to their life events, and think deeply about stressors. Bingo. A person with high functioning anxiety can look calm as a cucumber on the surface, but inside their brain is going a million miles a minute.
Time–I have found that people with anxiety focus on time. They need to be on time. They watch that clock. “I’m late!” is a common phrase…even though they arrive 15 minutes early to everything. Time can be an anxiety trigger. Being with a group of people that are running late? Anxiety triggered. Someone else running late which affects a meeting or schedule? Anxiety triggered.
Personality Type–Although anxiety hits all types of personalities, I do find it interesting that type A individuals are more likely to be affected by stress-related illnesses. Type A people are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease. Type A is achievement oriented, high-strung, intense, high individual expectations, and put high demands on themselves. Can you see this as a recipe for trouble? However, many personality types have traits and potentials for anxiety. Read more here: https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2014/10/anxiety-and-personality-type/
Sleep–Those with anxiety struggle with sleep. Shocker? No. Yet, you may hear that these people sleep waaaay more than the average person. Here’s the thing–it’s not solid sleep. It’s sleep that is riddled with dreams, waking up, and even panic attacks. That doesn’t sound like a restful sleep to me. So remember that your anxious friend may not be sleeping through the night and is realistically getting less sleep than you due to constantly waking up or laying in bed without actually falling asleep.
Silent–High functioning anxiety can be hard to detect. Why? We look just fine and dandy on the outside. Inside is where we are having an inner monologue that is freaking out. I have quite a few close friends, a large family, a husband, and positive relationships with my co-workers. Who can tell when my anxiety hits? My father and sometimes my husband. It’s not many people. My heart races. I zone out. I’m caught in my own thoughts. I need to be alone. I feel fatigued, even dizzy. My brain races. Chest tightens. These anxiety attacks last a few minutes to over an hour. They feel never ending. Yet, these symptoms are silent to those around me. This is the hardest type of anxiety to detect.
Perfectionist–Ah, perfectionism. Maybe it’s my inner teacher, but this need and want has never left. Those who struggle with perfectionism find themselves with anxiety at times. Why? That stack of papers over there needs to graded or at least filed properly. Files are color coded. Everything is labeled with the help of a label maker and in alphabetical order. There is a specific place for everything. Unrealistic perfectionism can increase anxiety and, interestingly, they enhance one another. Perfectionism leads to ideas of not being good enough or fearing mistakes. All or nothing thinking increases the anxiety, and most perfectionists see things as absolutes. Perfectionism is a major trigger (and even part of) anxiety. https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2014/05/the-link-between-perfectionism-and-anxiety/.

So what do I do? I plan to write another blog soon to give some tips on how to handle anxiety. No, I’m not a psychiatrist or doctor, but I do struggle with anxiety. Guess what? I also received help by a trained professional. Getting help was one of the hardest and best things I ever did for my mental health. Did the anxiety disappear? Absolutely not! Was I able to handle it better? Yes.

Remember my teacher and traveling friends–take care of YOU. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

“The thing about an anxiety disorder is that you know it is stupid. You know with all your heart that it wasn’t a big deal and that it should roll off of you. But that is where the disorder kicks in. Suddenly the small things is very big and it keeps growing in your head, flooding your chest, and trying to escape from under your skin. You know with all of your heart that you’re being ridiculous and you hate every minute of it.”

xoxo

Your Wander

Continue reading “Living with High Functioning Anxiety” →

Career, Graduate Degree, Graduate School, Job, Kids, Love of Teaching, school, Students, Teach, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teaching and Traveling, Time Management, Traveling

Teacher and also a Student

February 2, 2018February 2, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Last year at this time, I found myself neck deep in work–completing the Ohio residency program, planning a large wedding, and finishing my masters program…all while also working full time. As I reminisce this chapter of my life, I truly wonder now how I survived. I had to take every day one step at a time. I could get ahead in planning with teaching, but my nights were filled with making phone calls to the wedding coordinator and writing paper after paper for graduate school.

Here I am. A teacher. A student. All at the same time.

So how does one work full time, attend graduate school with max hours allowed, and have a life on top of that? What are the best and worst things about graduate school? Are there ways to make it easier?

Let me break down the five most basic questions everyone in this position (or pondering this torture) will encounter at some point. These are things I wish people would have helped me when I earned my degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

How do I pick a graduate school and major that fits me? Ask yourself:
- Do I even want/need to go to school? Yes. Read on. No. Read one of my other posts. 😉
- What am I good at? What aspect of my undergraduate degree do I want to expand
- What do I want to improve?
- Online or Campus? Let me recommend online as long as you can work basic computer programs. Best. Decision. Ever. I loved working in my PJ’s at home on my own time.
- What can I afford? In the good ol’ U.S. of A. we sadly have to pay most of our schooling bill. It’s a sacrifice, but that’s the road to success. When picking a graduate school, I looked at schools that had my major, provided online options, and would not dig me deeper in a debt ditch or contemplate paying student loans or eating.
- Find what works for you. Figure out what you want. If you’re spending this money and time for another degree, it needs to meet your needs and wants.
What is the workload like?
- Depends on your degree and work ethic. Generally…it’s a lot. Plain and simple.
- Can you type quickly or know shortcuts to search for key words to insert in a paper? Can you use Google? Sounds silly, but you’d be surprised. Everything depends on your skills, work ethic, and time management. For example, reading the entire text book in three days may not be likely (especially if you value your life). However, I recommend using an online textbook. Why? Ctrl + F baby. Looking for a specific word or need information for a research paper. Ctrl + F. It allows you to find what you need quickly and cut down on some time searching through hundreds of pages. That’s graduate school. Yes, you learn, but you have to find ways to eliminate times of waste as well.
- Word smarter not harder.
Is it possible for those with a family?
- Is It possible? Absolutely. Single mothers do it. Parents do it. Older individuals do it. Young people with zero money in their pocket do it.
- Sure, you’ll be busy. You’ll need to set a specific amount of time each night (or day) to work on school work. You may need your spouse to take care of the kids for an hour each night. Maybe it ends up being video game time for the kiddos for that hour or two. You’ll be exhausted, don’t misunderstand me, but it is possible.
What should I expect that no one will tell me upfront?
- In my situation, the thing NO ONE told me about was the amount of group projects. Oh….I LOATHE group projects! As I stated before, I earned my degree in Curriculum and Instruction which involved educators from around the country. It shocked me how many teachers were lazy. I felt like I was dealing with my students. I found myself begging individuals to do some of the group work (as the workload was enormous since it was supposed to be split), and teachers would either not respond at all, put the work load on other individuals, or do 1/4 of the work, while I was left with the other 3/4. What a pain in the behind. Furthermore, I found that professors–you know, the people who are teachers to the teachers, were giving those who did nothing the same grade as those who did all the work. Sure, I told my professors what happened. Yes, I explained the situations in the group evaluations. Didn’t matter. I only had ONE professor that graded us fairly. You know…the way we are supposed to grade our own students. So what’s the point of this rant? There are things you will absolutely encounter and no one mentions–people are incompetent. It doesn’t matter which department, which professor or peer…it happens. The financial aid office “loses” your payment or scholarship aid. The professor punches in the grades wrong and confuses your 96% for a 69%. The dean stops reading your emails when you explain you’re not paying the university to edit and fix their technology issues on a daily basis. Not like any of that has happened to me… Hang in there folks, the end is worth it. I promise.
Is it worth it?
- In the end (and for those of us who have to pay), yes. Within my first 15 graduate credits, I received a pay bump. By the end of my masters degree, I was given a more significant pay bump. Although it may not seem huge right now, in a few years I will be making close to 10k more than those with an undergraduate degree. Additionally, I will be making more every year as I get closer to that time where the pay gap is larger. What about more than just the price? Let’s talk about the fact that I did actually learn things essential to my career. It helped me become a better teacher. I learned new methods, technological tools, strategies, research, etc. I came out of it more educated about my field. Even with my frustrating time pursuing my graduate degree, I am so happy to have my degree.

Is this time stressful? Yes.

Is this time of stress, tears, frustration, dedication, and sacrifice worth it? Yes.

Learn more. Better yourself.

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”~ Aristotle

xoxo

Your Wanderer

Teaching, Time Management

Time Management in Teaching

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

We work on weekends. We stay hours after school to finish grading. The work never seems to end. For those of you non teachers, that work also includes state mandated paper work, information for special education, tracking progress monitoring, and any other paper that is not just grading.

So why do we spend so much time doing work and staying after school or on weekends when we are not even getting paid?

In my first year of teaching, I felt like I was barely keeping afloat. Think of a person drowning and only their lips are above water to keep them alive. That was me. I came home every night with textbooks and grading. HOURS were spent trying to keep up with my work. The stress of my job was real and staring at me straight in the face. After an entire semester of this, I realized something had to change. Quickly.

As I moved to new positions and even grade levels I still stuck to these steps for time management. It has led me leave school on time, spend more time with my family, and reduce job related stress.

Steps to Time Management:

1) Set a Quitting Time and Stick to It!

Set a time you leave the building and work completely, that includes no weekend work. That means turn off the emails. Turn off school notifications (unless it’s for cancelations or delays) and focus on your life outside school. Inevitably you will have to stay late for conferences or a meeting, but otherwise you stick to that schedule. I have too much work to just leave. Alright, then pick one day you stay late at school and work. All 4 days you stick to your quitting time. You have a life outside your job.

Want to reduce your job related stress? Leave your job that is causing you stress at a reasonable time.

2. Work Smarter not Harder

Did a teacher just say that? Yup.

Stop spending hours on your computer after school trying to come up with perfect lessons to create. If that’s not your strong point, then support another teacher by buying lesson plans or materials off of Teachers Pay Teachers. If you are good at that, keep creating those awesome lessons. You want to know why? Because you’re being PAID.
Keep off of social media and focus on your work and students aka put the phone away.
I see this daily, but we don’t realize how much time we waste. I watch teachers spend their planning period every day talking to other teachers and procrastinating. These are the same ones that stay after school and weekends, because they couldn’t finish their work. Sit in your room and work. Use your time wisely, as we would tell our own students.
- You’re giving a test and monitoring? Use a clipboard and grade papers as you walk around the room and answer questions at the same time.
- Kiddos are on computers practicing technology skills? Grade and fill out papers as you monitor.
Find when you are most productive. For example, I am the most productive in the morning. Many studies show that people are more productive in the morning as well. Teachers rarely get into school earlier than absolutely needed. Get to school 30 minutes early–make your copies when there is no line, grade when no one is in the building yet, set up your classroom so you’re not doing it during your lunch period. That thirty minutes early allows me to leave school immediately, no weekends, and generally I only need to do this on Monday mornings to be set for the week.

Make a list of what needs to be accomplished for the week and focus on that, especially those who struggle with time management. Keep your focus on what needs to be done and work smart.

3. Assign Less Homework

Uh oh. Touchy point.

At the elementary level, homework has little to no effect on student achievement. Yup. You read that right. We send kids home with reading logs (FYI most parents don’t do and just sign off), worksheets (mostly busy work), and homework that they can’t do. We spend more time tracking down homework and berating students who did not do it, than using that time for actual teaching. If a child can not understand his or her homework, the frustration carries over to the home and back to school the next day.

But it helps carry over our work at school and helps them practice. Practice makes perfect.

No. Practice makes permanent. If you have a kid who struggles, they’ll just practice it wrong and you spend more time in class fixing their work and thinking process.

What if you have to give homework?

Than make it short and meaningful. Stop sending busy work. It sucks for the kids and you.

Middle school and High school colleagues–studies show that homework is more beneficial by this level (mainly high school). So set up your homework that is meaningful, easy for you to grade, and set aside one day for only homework grading or refer to point 2 above.

A little more on this new teaching phenomenon:

Only you can change your time management. I went from working hours outside of school time unpaid to entering and leaving my classroom on time while being fully prepared for my kiddos. I have a life outside of teaching. Spend time focusing on what ways you waste time and eliminate it from your daily routine. How can you work smarter and not harder?

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” ~Charles Richards