Back to School for the Perimenopausal Teacher
I admit, this is a niche article.
Last week were my two teacher-only days before my students arrived in class this week. It’s my 20th year as a high school teacher. Things are on the upswing now that COVID is much less of a threat and kids have had a year or so in relatively normal circumstances.
This year, the transition back to school has been markedly more difficult. And that has nothing to do with the administration or the students. It’s all me this time.
My perimenopausal symptoms have been on the rise in the past year. Night sweats, sleep issues, bladder leaks, increased need to pee, fatigue, and worse-than-usual sensitivity to the heat have all been having a field day with me.
These symptoms have made it much more difficult to acclimate to being in school again. Scrambling to the bathroom between classes and making it back before students arrive is difficult. I’m tired, hot, and mentally spent at the end of a long day.
Today I actually came home and sat in my recliner and just closed my eyes to decompress. The days have been good so far, just exhausting physically and mentally.
Now that I’ve gotten back to school, Mother Nature really pulled a weather switcheroo. The last week of August was cooler and less humid…
