The Hamster Wheel

To be perfectly honest, I'm sitting down this morning to blog, feeling like this:

So much to do.
Always going.
Never stopping.
No end in sight.

Welcome to the beginning of the school year! I thought it would get easier if I wasn't a teacher. Somehow, it still seems just as crazy. It's draining! And exhausting!

As the pace quickens, my chances for reflection dwindle. I find myself struggling to keep up with it all, let alone take a minute to step back and think about if this is the best way to be tackling my work. Go. Go. Go. The beat drums ever on.

Unfortunately, I feel that exhaustion creeping up at me in all areas of life. I have been making more mistakes than usual at work. I come home with no energy to do even the simplest things, so housework is piling up. I'm mentally exhausted, and anything that requires thought feels like a big task (even when it isn't really).

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, especially at this time of year! So what can be done? I'm sharing these things not because I am great at them, but as a challenge/reminder to myself.

• Sleep makes a huge difference. When I want to stay up to get things done, I have to remember that I am so much more efficient in the morning after getting some rest - it's worth it!
• Eating well is important too. It's easy to turn to junk food (don't ask how many pieces of chocolate I've had this week!), but it doesn't fuel you to be your best.
• Exercise, for me, is a great chance to push my body while letting my mind wander. I don't typically listen to anything when I swim or run, I just let my thoughts run wild. I end up doing a lot of mental processing during these times, which allows me to "file" thoughts and organize my day better.
• Mindless activities are okay at times. I generally don't like watching a lot of TV, but when I come home and can't bring myself to do anything, sometimes zoning out and watching a show for awhile gives me the chance to recover and regroup so I can do what needs to be done for the rest of the night.
• Take a break! [Insert Hamilton music here] Do something just for the fun of it. That's all. We aren't made to work, sleep, eat, work, sleep, eat, repeat. It's okay to disconnect for awhile!
• Remember the bigger picture. Something at work/school can feel huge to me, but there are really much more important things in life. Remembering that helps put things in perspective.

What do you do to keep your sanity during stressful times? Any/all advice is appreciated!