Nothing in the classroom is worth added stress in your life. Nothing.
I know so many band directors (and other teachers as well, but mostly band directors) who get so incredibly worked up over their jobs that they lose their health, marriage, youthful physique, energy, or alienate their own children. Why? Because of their own selfish pride.
Just because nothing catastrophic happens this year doesn’t mean that nothing will. Stress can be cumulative in your life and may be building up and festering over a period of a handful of years.
The best solution is to stop. Now.
How do we avoid stress?
I have written at great length about this in the past, so instead of rehashing the entire month-long series I did on it in the past, I’ll direct you to 25 Tips For Less Stress and let you take it from there. The list of tips is:
- Drink Water
- Wake Up Earlier
- Eliminate Junk Food
- Increase Healthy Foods
- Kill Your TV
- Declutter Your Desk
- Declutter Your Desktop
- Declutter Your Inbox
- Declutter Your House
- Declutter Your Car
- Reduce Paperwork
- Reduce Responsibilities
- Reduce Phone Calls
- Reduce Possessions
- Reduce Your Lifestyle
- Deepen Your Relationships With Family
- Deepen Your Relationships With Friends
- Deepen Your Relationships With Students
- Deepen Your Relationships With Coworkers
- Deepen Your Relationships With Books
- Only Work At Work
- Work Only At Work
- Work Hard At Work
- Don’t Take Work Home
- Play At Work