Stress--How do you deal with it?

So I was searching through Pinterest for inspiration today and I saw this quote:

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2013/11/response_using_self-compassion_to_recover_from_a_bad_day.html

This quote caught my attention, because I have been thinking a bit lately about the stress that comes with my job.  How much it wears me out--and I wonder if it is because I don't handle my stress right. Which gets me thinking that if I handled stress better, would my overall life be better? The obvious answer to that one of course is yes---but then it circles back to the only way I can think of to control my stress better is quitting my job.  Currently that is not something that I am contemplating (though my more faithful readers know that I do contemplate this at my low points). So I clicked on this quote.

It came from an article on Education Week that is the third part of a series answering the question of how do you deal with a bad day as teachers. After reading the responses from various teachers, I realize that they are talking about the days in which the lesson doesn't go well, or the kids are driving you crazy, or you have those moments that just make you want to walk out.  And yes I still have those--but these articles didn't give me completely what I was thinking it was.  My job is stressful--as the quote says---it is the nature of the beast.  And it confirms what I have been thinking all along--it is not just this particular job.  So how do we deal with it? We can't just stop being teachers.

Some people offered the standard answers of taking care of yourself and leaving work at work--including in your mind.  And I agree with those, but others talked about things to do to prevent the bad days and when in the middle of them.  What about when you just get so tired of getting up in the morning? So in response to this response article....I thought I would offer what I try to do to deal with my stress.

1. As much as leaving at 3:00 when you get off is good for you...sometimes it is helpful to just stay a little longer so that you actually can leave work at work.  Even though some days I get home at 5...I go home without having to worry about anything.
2. Be willing to say no to things...having too many things on the plate along with teaching is hard.  Don't feel guilty just because you can't do it all.
3. I have noticed that if I don't take time for myself every night the next day is harder.  Even if it is a couple minutes of TV watching, book reading, Facebook, etc.--I recharge so much better.
4. In line with 2 and 3--make the important things a priority.  For me--church is a huge priority.  It helps me to deal with the stress of work--and it is a priority in my life.
5. Put your life in perspective.  Now this might sound really like a strange way to do so....but sometimes I say to myself, "Well at least I am not having to go through this like so and so is." I have a teacher friend right now who is teaching a full course load, directing the school musical that opens this week, and getting ready for basketball season that starts as soon as the play is over. And to top it all off her mom is currently fighting cancer.  Seriously....I have it easy compared to that.  It makes my stress not seem so over-whelming.  When none of you have horrible things happening in your lives (which is preferable don't get me wrong)--TV is a great replacement for--see my life isn't as horrible as it could be--especially medical dramas like Greys.

How do you relieve your stress?

Quotes That Bring a Smile

So today I have been looking at quotes that bring a smile to my face at least.  Thanks to Pinterest for these.  To get more here is the link to my board.

http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/2012/11/06/managing-a-busy-week/

http://www.ofanselm.com/2012/08/things-id-like-my-daughters-to-know.html

Really inappropriate link name

Its nice to smile just with little things like this because.....

http://sayingimages.com/a-good-laugh-and-a-long-sleep-are-the-best-cures-for-anything/

Why Knit?

So as I have mentioned previously I enjoy Grey's Anatomy.  I have watched every episode--and many of them more than twice.  These more than twice episodes often become the soundtrack while I grade.  Yesterday, I watched "The Name of the Game" from Season 2 (Episode 22).  In this episode, we meet the celibate Meredith who is knitting to avoid men.  Almost toward the end of the episode, Meredith reflects on her hard day to Derek.  He asks her,  "Are you ok?" She responds, "I have my knitting."

Skip to 5:50...and you can stop it at 6:25

 I really responded to this quote because this is how I feel sometimes about my knitting. The world seems to make a little bit more sense when I do my knitting.  I have really found that I go better the coming week if I have spent a few hours on the weekend knitting.  So what do I knit?  I mostly do blankets, baby blankets, specifically.  I have recently finished the knitting part of a new purse...but I need to sew it together--which makes me a bit nervous.  I have also done scarves--but I have been so focused on blankets recently I haven't done a scarf in awhile.

So why knit? Because it is sometimes all you have left.  What do you do when the world doesn't make sense?