A Gentle Reminder That You’re Allowed To Slow Down During The Holidays
It doesn’t have to be all go-go-go-go-go
There is no tired like teacher tired at the end of the term.
Don’t agree? Ask any other teacher you know.
Children are BONKERS the last week of school. It’s almost as if they do it to test us and see how close to the edge we can get without being flicked off like some sort of cartoon character.
By Friday of the last week, everyone has a mixture of cabin fever, short fuses, and zero attention span; and the end-of-year parties have all the exhausted students hopped up on treats. It’s actually like the Hunger Games, except at the end of the day we all run screaming from the building as fast as we can. Mass exodus.
I’m not saying that others don’t work hard, please don’t misconstrue my message. I’m just emphasizing that I am SO GLAD TO NOT BE ON THE CLOCK for the next 2 weeks.
I am cooked.
One reason is I’ve dug into the hours of how much extra I have to work to pay off this vet bill. I understand my first world problem and I know that I have to do what’s necessary to make this happen. I am very lucky and grateful to be able to take on extra responsibilities, afternoons, and other streams of income to pay that bill.
Doesn’t mean it stings less to spend $2000 on something that could be used on LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE I LOVE (like 2 years of yoga, over a year of karate, a month’s rent, a trip to California to go snowboarding, multiple snowboarding trips, a year of car payments, a vacation to France, half of Yoga Teacher Training tuition…) but I’m done torturing myself over the could-haves.
It is what it is, as they say. I love my fur baby and that’s that.
That said, if you’re interested in helping out with my vet bill, or buying me a coffee/tea because you find value in my writing, I would love you forever.
So anyway, it’s finally vacation time. Two weeks off. I like to think of it as collecting my lieu time that accumulated from the term. Time I spent planning, marking, at school doing clubs, parent interviews, time before school, after school stuff, etc.
I swear teaching is one of the only professions where you have to do extra work outside of work so that you have work to do at work, which only generates more work to do after work so there’s really no time to catch up on the work you already have but you can’t ignore the need to create work so you can continue working.
Feh.
Good thing I like teaching.
My point
I savour my days off. I’m planning on writing, finishing the editing process for my book (YES THIS YEAR I WROTE A BOOK!), going to yoga, lifting a little, dipping in the lake, and relaxing in my onesie.
My offer to you
Re-examine how you relax. Do you actually take time off? Do you feel like you have to earn it? Do you feel like you’re doing it wrong when you finally have time to yourself? Whose standards are you measuring against when you aren’t working and you’re trying to enjoy your life?
There’s this perception, I’ve noticed, that in order to have a “worth it” vacation you have to do something extravagant and over the top. If you’re not going away, maximizing your time doing all the things you didn’t get to do while you were working, or blowing your budget, then it’s bad or wrong.
I think social media has a lot to do with it, but also the circles we keep. If you’re in a group of folks who admonish your choices, maybe it’s time to take the end of the year to re-evaluate why you point your energy in their direction. No judgment here, I did a life-burn-down a year ago. Only a few survived.
Also, don’t get me wrong, I did my fair share of traveling in 2023. I used my entire travel budget and made up for lost time from COVID years.
But now I’m staying domestic. I’m hunkering down and staying close to home. It might seem like I’m doing a lot, but one outfit onesie is truly a departure from my go-go-go schedule. Writing and relaxing are paramount, and what my soul needs.
I’ll also be planning for the year ahead: doing some self-reflecting, goal-setting, and affirmation-building so that I can start the calendar year in a new chapter. I realize that time is arbitrary, but my self-development OCD likes momentum to start on January 1.
The whole point: let’s normalize doing whatever TF we want with our time off.
If you want to go crazy, knock yourself out; that’s your prerogative. If you want to sit and watch the paint dry or count the dots on your ceiling, also cool. Just make sure that it’s on your terms and no one else’s. Obviously, if you have other humans to consider that might be worth it too, but don’t forget to use your voice and exert your needs too.
Happy non-denominational winter time break to my teacher people. And for all you other folks, I give you permission to take a few days off.
As a matter of fact, I dare you to take a day or two to do exactly what it is and whatever you want.
xoxox
