Creating Harmony: Tips for Maintaining a Sense of Well-being at Work

Our sense of well-being influences how we think, perform, and socialize inside and outside of work. Taking care of my mental health and well-being is of the utmost importance, as doing so enables me to focus on my work as an educator. Prioritizing my well-being produces a ripple effect, spilling over into what I do, and how I approach problems and deal with everyday issues.

In this blog I’d like to share five ways that have helped me to put my well-being first:

 

1. Plan each day

Planning my days helps me to be more organized as it enables me to identify my goals and prioritize my workload. Setting clear goals clarifies what I want to achieve while prioritizing helps me focus on essential items first. What’s more, when there are changes to my schedule, such as a meeting or lesson cancellation, I find it helpful to refer back to my daily plan so I can focus my attention and energy on working on what I want to achieve for the day.

 

2. Create little rituals

Having little rituals during my day helps to create the perfect mood. For example, morning meditation prepares my mindset for the day. Listening to my favorite music, reading books, and chatting with friends on my way to work cheers me up. Rituals can lead to the art of creating habits, which can be one of your hobbies one day. What works best for me is chatting with my friend in the morning while I drink a cappuccino or reading a few pages from a book during my break time. Currently, I’m reading The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. I keep my family and friends up to date on what I’m reading so they can opt to read along and share their reactions as we progress through the story.

 

3. Nurture a growth mindset

Learning new things positively affects my mind and thoughts. Effort and deliberate practice often bring fruitful results that positively influence my lifestyle and relationships. When learning something new, I start by setting bite-sized steps as this keeps me motivated as I can track my progress step-by-step, no matter how slight the progress might be. This gives me a great sense of accomplishment and makes me a more interesting person for my students, who love hearing about new skills I’m learning.

For input on gathering new ideas and skills, check out this blog on Exploring Ways to Develop as a Teacher.

 

4. Schedule microbreaks

Whether I work from home or the office, I take small breaks to switch my attention and refresh my mind. Working as a teacher requires lots of sharing skills. I give my knowledge, experience, and energy to spark my learners’ minds to make studying productive and engaging. Having a little time between lessons, sipping a glass of fresh water, skimming funny jokes, or listening to a fascinating podcast, helps me to recharge and perform with new ideas and strength.

 

5. Take care of your space

As I spend most of my time teaching and training online, I organize my space to make it comfortable. Firstly, I have my desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other work tools and systems arranged to match my body. In this way, I avoid back and neck pain. You can learn more about setting up your workspace by checking out this practical blog here.

I also have things on my desk that are both nice and handy. For example, colorful pens and a notebook with stickers inspire me to have creative thoughts or ideas for my next class. Also, when I finish my work, I put my laptop and other work-related objects in a cupboard, which helps me switch off from work, especially on days when I work from home.

Every day is unique and it’s up to us to make it meaningful, joy-filled, and special in its own way. Think about the choices you make every day and try new things where you want to make changes.

 

I hope these tips have inspired you to explore how you take care of your well-being. Why not share this blog and add your own tips to the list?

 

Learn more about EF Teach Online here.