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Ok teachers, here we go again. Online learning only this time it's colder, darker and there's no Tiger King to watch. Some tips for staying healthy over the next few weeks:
1) Get outside. This was easier in May - we did early morning walks in the sunshine and beers in the garden on Friday evening. Now there are only 8 hours of daylight - wrap up and make sure you see some of it.
2) Eat well - not in a "New Year New You" kind of way. In a cook from scratch when possible, plan some hearty meals, eat more vegetables, kind of way. Grey Tuesday afternoons are made much more bearable with something delicious bubbling away in the oven.
3) Sleep - teachers with young children can skip straight to number 4 - set your alarm a bit later now you don't have a commute and don't let the "I don't have to physically be in work tomorrow morning" feeling trick you into staying up until 2am watching Bridgerton. For example.
4) Phone people - remember phone calls? They're like zoom but without the awkward pauses and without the need to see your own face staring back at you. Emails are easier but a phonecall can feel far more personal and less isolating.
5) Manage your workload - use the wealth of resources that are out there. You're not the only person teaching The Great Fire of London to Year 2 so don't feel like you have to design everything from scratch.
6) Get an eye test - insert your own Barnard Castle joke here - at the height of the last lockdown we were spending more than 40% of our waking hours in front of a screen. Take screen breaks and if notice that you're squinting or straining your eyes - get them tested.
7) Use your evenings to relax - choose a time to stop checking emails and stick with it (yes headteachers - even you.) No commuting gives us all a little more time so whether it's journaling, reading, running, or baking - find something to do that will take your mind off work.
8) And finally: know you're not alone. Working at home can feel isolating at times but we are all in this together so reach out when you need to. Twitter can be toxic and awful but there are a lot of good people here who will listen and want to help. We've got this.
