"I give myself permission to rest when needed, knowing that balance leads to greater productivity and joy."
Hello all.
This morning, I gave myself the gift of an extra hour in bed, waking up at 7:00 AM instead of my usual routine. I was absolutely exhausted and really needed that extra bit of rest to prepare myself for the day ahead. Though I missed my deep breathing and cold shower in the morning, I promised myself to make time for them later in the day.
With the need to refuel my car, I decided to drive to work instead of cycling. This small decision saved me time and ensured I wouldn’t be running on empty—both literally and figuratively!
A Morning of Admin and Assembly
At work, the day started with setting up the online stream for the Year 1 assembly. It’s always wonderful to see the younger children take part in these events. Even though they were a little quiet, their message was fantastic. For parents who couldn’t attend in person, having the live stream available ensured they didn’t miss out on this special moment.
After the assembly, I dived straight into my usual admin responsibilities for the Teaching School Hub. Today’s main task involved confirming details for several temporary contracts. To streamline the process, I created a mail merge email template, allowing me to send personalized confirmation emails quickly and efficiently.
The next major job was cross-checking data for 436 schools to ensure everything was correct for the upcoming Appropriate Body QA visits. This task required comparing two separate lists and ensuring they matched up—a meticulous but necessary process. I couldn’t help but think about how much easier this would be once we finally have a database system in place. The automation of these tasks would save hours of manual work!
Creativity in the Classroom
In the afternoon, I had the pleasure of working with the Year 2 class, helping them create infographics using PowerPoint. Each child chose a famous artist they admired and designed their own unique presentation. Vincent van Gogh was the clear winner!
My role was to help them log in, set up their presentations, and provide guidance where needed. It was wonderful to see their creativity shine through in their work. Moments like this remind me why I love being involved in education—seeing students engaged, excited, and passionate about learning makes all the behind-the-scenes work worth it.
Making a Difference with Small but Important Tasks
Later in the day, I took on a particularly important job: importing student data into an online system to ensure that eligible students receive food and holiday vouchers for Easter. The deadline for submission was Tuesday, but we decided to get it done early to prevent any last-minute stress next week. It was a small task in the grand scheme of things, but knowing it would make a real difference in families’ lives made it feel significant.
Before wrapping up, I ordered replacement screens for two iPads that needed repairs. Hopefully, they’ll arrive next week, allowing me to fix them and get them back into the hands of students who need them.
Another small but satisfying task involved repairing one of the Stations of the Cross. A broken piece needed to be glued back in place, so I carefully secured it, hoping it would hold over the weekend.
An Evening of Family Time
With my workday done, I headed home and was greeted by a lovely surprise—Juli’s granddaughter, Aurora, was staying over. This gave me the perfect excuse to put my laptop aside and spend quality time with family instead of jumping straight into work.
We spent the evening socializing, relaxing, and watching TV together. It was a much-needed break after such a busy week, and I was grateful for the chance to unwind and just enjoy being in the moment.
As the night wound down, we tidied up the house and got Aurora settled for bed. I made a conscious effort to prioritize sleep, aiming for a full eight hours in bed. It might not translate to a full eight hours of actual sleep, but just having that time to rest and recharge was important.
Ending the Day with Gratitude
Looking back on the day, I’m grateful for:
- The extra hour of rest that helped me power through the day.
- The opportunity to support the Year 1 assembly and help Year 2 students express their creativity.
- Getting critical admin work done ahead of schedule.
- Spending uninterrupted family time in the evening.
It’s easy to focus on what didn’t get done—like skipping my morning cold shower or deep breathing—but I remind myself that self-care isn’t just about routines; it’s also about listening to my body and knowing when rest is the best choice.
#Gratitude #SelfCare #Education #Mindfulness #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #FamilyTime #Teaching #Creativity #PersonalGrowth
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