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You are here: Home / teacher tips / Establish healthy habits for bringing work home and decompressing
teacher tips

Establish healthy habits for bringing work home and decompressing

April 3, 2015

Healthy work habits is a topic near and dear to my heart. When Angela Watson asked me to read her new book, Unshakeable, and write about one of the chapters, Establishing Healthy Habits for Brining Work Home and Decompressing was a no-brainer.

When it comes to your work habits, it’s often hard to “win” no matter what you do. It seems you get the side-eye whether you’re the first to leave after the dismissal bell or the last car in the parking lot each night. You either care too much or not enough, judged by the size of your “teacher bag” each evening. You know… the one you often take home full of papers to grade and then back to school the next morning without touching anything inside. Let’s face it, some nights mine didn’t even make it out of the car. Other nights that same teacher bag felt like a ball and chain, and I’d sit for hours with a pen glued in my hand grading papers, begging my husband to help with the math fact sheets. So.much.stress.


But as I went along in my career, I realized it was all about balance. As a new teacher, I lived at school. I was one of the first ones in the building each morning, spent evenings at school planning, and still took papers home to grade each night. I remember locking myself in a bedroom at my grandmother’s house one Thanksgiving, grading animal essays before dinner. No fun.


Fortunately, with a little experience and limit-setting, that didn’t last long. Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran, it’s all about the balance and you DESERVE time to decompress. I personally found that I resented the paper pushing less when I could do it from home. This meant I left school shortly after my students with a slightly full teacher bag. I was able to enjoy time with my family and then work on “school stuff” in my pajamas while catching up on the DVR or listening to music. This was SO much better for me than sitting at my desk under fluorescent lights at school. I also had fewer distractions and interruptions. And when it was time to put it away, I put it away. Your job as a teacher is never finished and there is always something you can do. It’s okay to leave some of it for tomorrow. 

 

Another way I managed to keep a better work-life balance and decompress was making the most out of my commute, something Angela also recommends. I can be really good at beating myself up. I’ll replay moments in my head over and over and am a pro at the should/woulda/coulda game. I wrote “Artic” instead of “Arctic” on my whiteboard during a guided reading lesson while I was being evaluated. Seriously?! I’m a great speller, what was I thinking? Then I have to remind myself that I am human, I make mistakes, and my teacher brain was just running faster than my teacher hand. Plus, my students ignored my mistake and all spelled it correctly on their poster for the win! Was this worth stewing over? Absolutely not. I taught myself to do my mental work in the car so I didn’t have to rehash it with my husband when I got home. Little things like that can make a big difference!


For more advice on bringing a better balance to your life and gaining more satisfaction from teaching, I highly recommend Angela’s new book, Unshakeable. It’s packed with 20 easy-to-read chapters that will help you get more joy out of teaching. 


You can follow along with us and download a printable poster of the 20 ways over on Angela’s website, The Cornerstone. Here’s a link to grab your own copy!






motivation
by Christi Fultz 

About Christi Fultz

wife • mom • teacher • writer • tech obsessed • sometime crafter • beach lover | Empowering entrepreneurs through branding & website design

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Comments

  1. Catie Lewis says: April 3, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    Thank you so much Christi for some great ideas! I have almost an hour commute home after school and I continue finding myself rehashing the shoulda/coulda/woulda's, however, I find myself more down in the pits and really loosing sight of why I'm doing what I'm doing. This is my 3rd year teaching (with a 2 year break between the 2nd and 3rd year) and would love to know what are some things you may "self-talk" about to lift your spirits and become positive through all the negative and stress. Thanks!

    • Christi Fultz says: April 4, 2015 at 3:08 am

      I usually focus on what went right. "Okay, maybe I misspelled Arctic in my hurry, but my students rocked those text features and showed what they've learned!" or "Wow, that parent was super upset. But I did the best I could have with the information I had and really was looking out for the student's best interest by offering that logical consequence."

      At the end of the day if our hearts and intentions are in the right place and we've done the best we can, we have to let the rest go. I focus on that and all of the ways I'm helping my students and our classroom every day.

  2. Angela Watson says: April 4, 2015 at 1:19 am

    Christi, I really enjoyed reading your reflections. I love that you've gone through the same battles as me in terms of training yourself not to mentally rehash the low points of the day, or insist on sharing everything with your husband. (Mine is reallllllly happy I stopped doing that! LOL!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts on trying to keep balance–I think that's something every teacher can relate to!

  3. Sarah Koves says: April 6, 2015 at 1:28 am

    Thank you so much for writing this!

    Kovescence of the Mind

Christi Fultz

wife • mom • teacher • writer • tech obsessed • sometime crafter • beach lover | Empowering entrepreneurs through branding & website design

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Baking With Kids // There’s icing all over my co Baking With Kids // There’s icing all over my counter and cake crumbles with sprinkles all over my floor. The kids have had a sugar rush before noon, and we LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. 

Some of my favorite childhood memories are making cupcakes with my mom. When I saw the I’m The Chef Too subscription box, it was an easy YES. Almost everything you need is right inside the box each month to make it easy. There are typically about 3 servings, so you make enough for everyone to have one treat without leftovers hanging around.

Now... who is going to clean up this mess??

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It Had To Be Done // When my monthly farm flowers It Had To Be Done // When my monthly farm flowers subscription came on Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist. These will bloom over the next few days. 💐
Offering Websites + Logos Since 2012 // When you w Offering Websites + Logos Since 2012 //
When you work with me, I become your digital marketing business bestie; one point person who helps you get it all done and saves you time with a website that will be beautiful outside and powerful inside. Design by Christi Fultz creates logos, installs WordPress websites, sets up email marketing, and offers virtual assistance for creative entrepreneurs. Let’s tackle your to-do list.

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Why am I like this?? // I’m already tired tomorr Why am I like this?? // I’m already tired tomorrow, but let’s stay up and watch reality tv.
DIY Floral Wallpaper // Charlotte’s first big gi DIY Floral Wallpaper // Charlotte’s first big girl room is one of my favorite places in the house. We let the kids choose their own decor for the new house and Charlotte’s room is a purple and pink dream... no surprise there! 

The DIY wallpaper was probably a “once and done” experience for us and took about six hours for this 9 by 16 wall. More pictures and sources are on our family blog, also linked in bio: https://completelychristi.com/2022/02/diy-floral-removable-wallpaper.html

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Kid Closet // Because we were so happy with our ow Kid Closet // Because we were so happy with our own custom closet, we decided to do my son’s too. We primarily use his closet for off-season storage and toys, but it was always a MESS! Then the mess spilled out onto his nightstand, desk, dresser, building table, and under his bed. He needed a system! 

I used the online design tool from @containerstorecustomspaces to create this DIY Classic Elfa system. It took about three hours to install and set up. I love how flexible the system is, which means we can reconfigure the layout as he grows. I’m also really proud of his label choices... maybe he inherited some of my organizational skills after all!

#louisvilleky #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #diyhomeprojects #diyhome #homedesigninspiration #homeinspo#homemakeover #diyinspo #makehomeyours #homeorganization #homeorganizing #closetorganization #organizedhome #organizedcloset #walkincloset #closetgoals #closets #closetdesign #customcloset #closetmakeover #kidroomideas #childsroom #kidsroom #kidsroommakeover #kidsroominspiration #kidsroomdesign
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Baking With Kids // There’s icing all over my co Baking With Kids // There’s icing all over my counter and cake crumbles with sprinkles all over my floor. The kids have had a sugar rush before noon, and we LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. 

Some of my favorite childhood memories are making cupcakes with my mom. When I saw the I’m The Chef Too subscription box, it was an easy YES. Almost everything you need is right inside the box each month to make it easy. There are typically about 3 servings, so you make enough for everyone to have one treat without leftovers hanging around.

Now... who is going to clean up this mess??

#louisvilleky #momsoflouisville #louisvillemoms #louisvillemomcollective #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #derbycitymama #bakingwithkids #kidsinthekitchen #familybaking #momentsinchildhood
It Had To Be Done // When my monthly farm flowers It Had To Be Done // When my monthly farm flowers subscription came on Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist. These will bloom over the next few days. 💐
Offering Websites + Logos Since 2012 // When you w Offering Websites + Logos Since 2012 //
When you work with me, I become your digital marketing business bestie; one point person who helps you get it all done and saves you time with a website that will be beautiful outside and powerful inside. Design by Christi Fultz creates logos, installs WordPress websites, sets up email marketing, and offers virtual assistance for creative entrepreneurs. Let’s tackle your to-do list.

#wordpressdesign #teacherpreneurs #smallbusinesstips #websitedesigner #louisvillesmallbusiness #lousivilleky #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #momsaroundlouisville #derbycitymama #kentuckymom #locallouisville #mompreneur #momprenuerlife #tptseller #creativebusinessowner #creativeladydirectory
Why am I like this?? // I’m already tired tomorr Why am I like this?? // I’m already tired tomorrow, but let’s stay up and watch reality tv.
DIY Floral Wallpaper // Charlotte’s first big gi DIY Floral Wallpaper // Charlotte’s first big girl room is one of my favorite places in the house. We let the kids choose their own decor for the new house and Charlotte’s room is a purple and pink dream... no surprise there! 

The DIY wallpaper was probably a “once and done” experience for us and took about six hours for this 9 by 16 wall. More pictures and sources are on our family blog, also linked in bio: https://completelychristi.com/2022/02/diy-floral-removable-wallpaper.html

#louisvilleky #momsoflouisville #louisvillemoms #louisvillemomcollective #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #derbycitymama #diyhomeprojects #diyhome #homedesigninspiration #homeinspo #homemakeover #diyinspo #makehomeyours #kidroomideas #childsroom #childsroomdecor #childroomdesign #kidsroom #kidsroommakeover #kidsroominspiration #kidsroomdesign
Kid Closet // Because we were so happy with our ow Kid Closet // Because we were so happy with our own custom closet, we decided to do my son’s too. We primarily use his closet for off-season storage and toys, but it was always a MESS! Then the mess spilled out onto his nightstand, desk, dresser, building table, and under his bed. He needed a system! 

I used the online design tool from @containerstorecustomspaces to create this DIY Classic Elfa system. It took about three hours to install and set up. I love how flexible the system is, which means we can reconfigure the layout as he grows. I’m also really proud of his label choices... maybe he inherited some of my organizational skills after all!

#louisvilleky #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #diyhomeprojects #diyhome #homedesigninspiration #homeinspo#homemakeover #diyinspo #makehomeyours #homeorganization #homeorganizing #closetorganization #organizedhome #organizedcloset #walkincloset #closetgoals #closets #closetdesign #customcloset #closetmakeover #kidroomideas #childsroom #kidsroom #kidsroommakeover #kidsroominspiration #kidsroomdesign
DIY Board and Batten Accent Wall with Display Ledg DIY Board and Batten Accent Wall with Display Ledge Tutorial // Carter’s room needed a punch of color and a place to display his favorite Legos. This weekend project was exactly what I had hoped for! Full tutorial and sources on my hobby blog, linked in bio. https://completelychristi.com/2022/01/diy-board-and-batten-accent-wall-tutorial.html 

#louisvilleky #momsoflouisville #louisvillemoms #louisvillemomcollective  #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #derbycitymama #diyhomeprojects #diyhome #homedesigninspiration #homeinspo#homemakeover #diyinspo #makehomeyours #kidroomideas #childsroom #childsroomdecor #childroomdesign #kidsroom #kidsroommakeover #kidsroominspiration #kidsroomdesign
Farm Flowers // I absolutely love my monthly flowe Farm Flowers // I absolutely love my monthly flower delivery. It’s the perfect “pick me up” on a gloomy January day… or any time! As a momma, it’s easy to do all the things for your family. This is one thing I do for me! And since I work from home, it makes my space just a little happier every day. I was initially intimidated by the thought of arranging my own bouquets, but they provide tips and pictures to help. The best part? They arrive mostly in bud form and bloom in your home so you can enjoy each arrangement longer. ✨ Mine usually last 10-14 days. Link in bio to learn more.

#louisvilleky #momsoflouisville #louisvillemoms #louisvillemomcollective #kentuckyblogger #kyblogger #louisvilleblogger #igerslouisville #derbycitymama #momselfcare #freshflowers #thebouqscompany

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