I always relax and un-wind when I ride my bike!
Bike riding is great relaxation and great exercise too Jay! Some instructors use their bike to commute to their schools when they are close enough to do so.
Interesting, I like your approach Garrett. It's unique to what I've heard before. Dedicating an entire day to a task and really focusing on it seems like a great way to give it your all.
Conflict resolution is actually a stressor that many instructors deal with Robert. Some get better at resolving conflict through increased experience. Others always seem to experience a challenge with it no matter how much experience they have.
Logistical Factors: An ever changing schedule, a company who is constantly taking different directions, having to work late at night.
Student Needs: Students who don't take class seriously or pay attention to demo's and assignments, students who need more help than I can give them when I have a whole classroom of other students who need help as well
College Requirements: Having to follow syllabi which are not always complete, have conflicting information and also some who don't have enough content to fill the class time.
Stress effets us all in different ways, identifying these areas and dealing with them accordingly can lead to a good healthy life.
Yes, there are so many individual differences. What one person considers stressful can have no effect on another.
The school I work at is piling more and more "admistrative" work on the instructors. This causes great stress because we don't have time to teach AND do all the paperwork (that used to be done by an admin asst.)
That sounds really touch Sherilyn! It's hard when we are hired to do one thing but end up being asked to do another.
stress is a strange beast. I was extremely stressed out over a trip to L.A. to sell a screenplay. I was very calm for weeks up to the trip, but started to notice smalle chages. rapid heart beats. I started getting soars in my mouth.
I couldn't sleep for more than an hour and wouldn't eat.
all these signs started escalating the closer I got to my trip to L.A.
I went to the doctor not even sure why these symptoms where happening.
the doctor asked me couple questions and realized that I was nervous and stressed about my trip. It is so obvious for a person to see someone else stressed out, but impossible for that person to recognize their own stress.
Noticing suttle changes in routine or daily operations helps me understand now that something is causing me stress and that I have to talk or deal with the subject straight on
stress is a strange beast. A lot of times the one stressed out can not recognize the symptoms. It usually is someone else recognizing the symptoms. Our bodies adapt to stress to continue with daily functions and we can all suffer greatly if not caught.
Being organized and talking about feelings is the best way to calm the nerves.
I love working in fast paced world and can also let something go if it is not working. The thing that stresses me out is when there is not enough family time and money. I feel working more will solve the money issues, but causes less time spent with family. A well balanced lifestyle is difficult but must be managed. Separation between work and family is difficult in this face lane society, and I see more individuals not able to separate the two
Lately doing the drive to work I ask GOD for guidance in servicing and meeting the needs of all people I come into contact with at work . Now doing my drive there is no radio, no phone calls, etc.
I focus on the likely stress events and then mentally form a proactive plan that will reduce the stressful event if it should occur. It been working rather well.
Logistical/organizational stressors are facing different teaching schedules each 10 week term, which places new stressors on one's professional and personal requirements. Depending upon class assignments, each new term can bring students who choose not to accept ultimate responsibility for their learning no matter how much extra time and input they are given, which adds to student need stress. A college may also enact a new policy in midterm declaring its always been a policy and thereby requiring instructors to perform added tasks, which adds to college requirement stressors.
A very good stress reducer, indeed: putting oneself first. Thank you.
Wow...stress...where do you start...just needing to make a list to cover this topic could be a stressor. Ok but seriously, Traffic both coming into work and going home is always somewhat stressful...Now that it is the holiday season adds another dimension of stress...class dynamics can be a stress producing source, home life with children in College and paying those bills...I like the idea of listing them...Then they can be looked at in a real sense and sorted to importance. I think sometimes we add stress by just ignoring those little items as if they will go away or if we don't look at them realistiacally. When driving, I imagine that the rest of the drivers on the road are a bit challenged...and they probably are...so when I see the traffic bind up and people are jockeying lane to lane I just think, oK they are not thinking clearly, I slow down, put on some soft music and relax...I used to get wound up of it but it doesn't solve anything. Getting more organized and placing priority on tasks can help remove stress. Keeping school records and grading papers...keeping the shop supplies up to date...delegate is the word that will assist here....No one does it all alone...
Like you said Joseph, no one does it all alone. It's ok to reach out and lean on others when you are overworked and there's too much on your plate.
You bring up a challenge that many instructors face Joseph. By working to solve a problem in one area of our lives, we can create new problems in other areas. As instructors, we try to find balance, but we are never perfect.
Stress really can make you sick Joseph. It's important to take care of yourself in stressful times, especially during the holidays.
One major area for me for stressors would be finding time to do everything that you want to do in a day for grading and timely feedback, whether it is grading assignments or responses to questions. My stressors are based on student needs; however, I have set times during the day and evening as to what I will do at that time so that I am not stressed about completing each of these items all at once. Last, the important thing for me to remember would be to leave a little wiggle room for the unexpected.
Jennifer
