Lately, we have heard a lot in the news about overworking because of changes due to COVID. I would argue that overworking has been a topic of conversation amongst teachers well before the pandemic. There is always something to do, right? Educators have meetings to attend, lessons to create, calls to make, parent-teacher conferences, papers to grade, and deadlines. This is just to name a few. 😊
We tend to put off time for decompression or vacation until the universal school breaks, but a day here and there can actually help you to be better at your job.
Overworking does not prove:
- You are dedicated to your job
- You care more than someone else
- You should get paid more
Balanced work does prove:
- You are prepared for your job
- You care about your physical and mental well-being
- You still get paid and enjoy more to life
The Performance Excellence Network explains that there is proven research that overworking does not help us. In fact, we are decreasing our endurance to be productive by compromising our health at what expense. Falling into the patterns of a workaholic can be toxic. So not only are we creating a schedule that is harming our wellbeing, but we are also modeling to our students and children that overworking is the norm or at least expected. We must start early with our children to teach them to find a balance in work and play.
In Bec Heinrich’s TED Talk, “Redefining Rest – Slowing Down to Speed Up,” she calls overworking an epidemic of the “Doing Disease”. And according to Beci, this unhealthy pattern is a “life threatening, brain paralyzing, and heart destroying condition”. She suggests the cure is rest.
Most educators that I know lack rest, and the general public is naïve to this fact. Have you ever had someone say to you how nice it must be to have the summers off? This happens way too often, and I think it is because we need to do a better job of educating people about how much time and effort is dedicated throughout the school year with little to no rest. I know. I know. Why should we take up one more thing? Why are we responsible for letting people know how much work educators do every day of the school year? If we don’t tell our story, no one will.
If you are not already doing it, please watch your calendar and see how often you are scheduling time for yourself. My friend Crystal at Chasing Happiness once asked me how often I let my cell phone battery run low. My answer was NEVER. Start prioritizing you by keeping your energy and mental health charged and stop adopting a pattern of overworking. I guarantee you will be a happier and more productive human being.
See You Real Soon,
Erin