Well… it happened. The Australian school holidays came to an end and I’m back at work as a high school teacher. My evenings and weekends are already filling up with admin, lesson planning and making school resources!
I am determined not to get as burnt out this year as I did last year, and take better care of my mental health. Crafting is a huge part of that for me.
What do you do to make sure you have time for yourself in a hectic schedule?
Photo of my very slow progress on the original version of Emily’s Flower Shop!
Totally get that Welcome back to school life and huge respect for being mindful of burnout Making time to craft, even in small pockets, really helps reset the mind. Slow progress is still progress, and Emily’s Flower Shop is looking lovely already
Wishing you a calmer, more balanced year ahead ~~ you’ve got this
I make time for self care. I even write it down or put an alarm on my phone for self care breaks. As a health care worker I’m no stranger to burnout. Writing down what I’d do for self care(eg, crafting, a quick walk, play with my dogs etc) even just for few mins at a time keeps me accountable.
Much respect for you going back to school. Unfortunately, for teachers the work doesn’t end with the school bell.
I truly hope you find the time to relax and destress with your builds.
@mchipman Thank you for sharing! I think I need to do the same, and be more protective of my own time. I’m starting to realise that waiting and putting off time to rest until after my ‘to do’ list done is fruitless
@Suzanne_Jones its very true that the job goes well outside of the 8am til 3pm that we spend in the classroom! I love my job and wouldn’t want to do anything else, but the workload can be a lot. I am determined to keep a better balance this year.
Thank you for your hard work as a teacher it’s no easy feat. I work in healthcare so I know how it feels with the burnt out.
Crafting is very therapeutic for me but I don’t try to build every day unless I have the mental capacity and time to do so. I want to make sure it’s as relaxing as possible. So I just follow my heart! Sometimes I substitute crafting time with a nap.
You’re doing an amazing job regardless just look at that beautiful shelf!
It depends on the kit. It is a easier snap together kit i take a hour here and there. Sometimes before work. For more difficult kits i really plan ahead. A afternoon when I’m home alone or something like that
I have exams nonstop every 3 weeks and assembling this kits keeps me sane?? it refreshes my brain and relaxes when stress spikes up, so when I’m not that busy I allow myself more liberties and build till I’m bored and when things get hectic I set a time of an hour just enough for me to regulate myself and have a little fun, also good luck this semester (Idk if they’re called semesters in Australia) and praying that you will not be as burned out this time best of luuuckssss <<33
Time for yourself is important, even if it means some household chores wait a bit. The great thing about chores is that they’ll still be there whenever you choose to get to them! Haha enjoy life and take care of you!
Your progress looks so beautiful. I’ve heard how stressful that the wire rack can be. Yours is lovely. Thank you for all that you do in your field of education.
I really relate to this. I try to protect small pockets of time, even if it’s just a little bit, and treat crafting as non-negotiable self-care. Slow progress is still progress, and it really helps keep burnout away
Welcome back to school life and huge respect for being mindful of burnout 
Making time to craft, even in small pockets, really helps reset the mind. Slow progress is still progress, and Emily’s Flower Shop is looking lovely already 
best of luuuckssss <<33