As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am finding life rather stressful at the moment. Not as stressful as someone in essential services of course, but having difficulty keeping control of my schedule is very difficult for a Type A person like me.
Usually I sit down every Sunday and double check all my bookings for the coming week. These are in a Burde week-on two-pages vertical layout in my personal sized ring organiser. Pink highlighter denotes group teaching in the Swedish Riksdag that lasts more than three hours at a time. Blue highlighter denotes group teaching in the Swedish Government Offices that lasts more than three hours at a time. The rest are individual clients.
Behind the week-on-two-pages inserts are page-per-day inserts where I write daily to dos. Over the past months I write the next day’s to dos the evening before.
Behind the two calendars are lined note pages where I have wish lists, vocabulary lists of words to add to the textbook I produce, various bits and bobs.
What is really difficult during these corona times is that some lessons are online, some are face-to-face (at a distance, of course). These lessons can change from one to the other at any time, with short or no notice. So if I have three face-to-face lessons in a row in different places and one changes to an online lesson, I often have to rush around trying to find a room to have the online lesson. Some of my clients are very kind and offer me an empty conference room or their own office for that hour or two. I work on several different platforms – Skype, Teams, Zoom, Kudo etc – so have to switch between them for meetings – and as we all know, technical glitches often happen with people not being able to get in to meetings etc etc. *sigh*
I really have to take it day by day, and for me that is really hard. I instinctively want to know how my week will look, what I need to pack in my bag (computers, chargers) – in advance. Now I cannot do that so I prepare for every eventuality and carry everything everywhere. And I confirm and re-confirm as much as possible.
I guess this whole pandemic has been a lesson to the world to take things day by day and not stress about things you cannot change.
Winola, what a fabulous saying. Love that. xx
Oh gosh… I hear you.
For me, the unknowns combined with inability to plan ahead has been so very stressful. Throw in the fact that my working week has gone from 22.5hours to an average of 40 just so that I can support others to cope, and the pandemic has been challenging to say the least.
I agree that day by day is the only way through right now. And also, a very mindful and conscious practice of deliberately allowing for time in between meetings and taking time to have healthy breaks.
Hoping your days get smoother for you.
Deep breaths, Janet, deep breaths.
Your life, health, and mental state is more important than work. Remember the saying: Your job will never love you back.
I don’t know your work situation, but maybe cut back a tad somehow so that you’re not so stressed out?
I should add your saying about jobs to my words of wisdom. Thank you Winola x
Your welcome! We really need you here in this world, so please, Janet, do take care of yourself…
Sounds hectic. I hope things improve soon.