In my house, which includes an 11-year-old, I am typically the first to get to bed. This naturally makes me the butt of many jokes and comments. (In my defense, I’m also the first to rise, sometime in the 5:00 am hour). My goal each night is to get 7 hours of sleep, as I find that on days when I sleep for a shorter duration, I am tired throughout the day. But getting adequate sleep isn’t just about being less tired. It’s one of the most important things we can do to preserve our health and improve our chances of longevity.

You celebrated. Now you need to recover. Here’s how.

Life's major events, such as weddings, holidays, and family celebrations, often bring joy and cherished memories. However, they can also disrupt our routines and leave us feeling a bit disoriented when we return to our regular schedules. As someone who recently experienced the whirlwind of a son's wedding followed by the festivities of the Jewish holiday of Purim, I understand firsthand the challenge of getting back on track.

In this blog post, we'll explore strategies to quickly regain momentum and find balance after significant life events.

I choose to see how I've succeeded, not how I've failed

Recently, a dental crown came loose.

It filled a gap from a tooth that I lost years ago due to neglect.

Root canal and all.

Back in the day, I would brush less frequently, drink soda, and view dental visits as things to avoid.

The result was that I lost a couple of teeth and had some others that needed much help to save.

Since then, my personal dental care has improved significantly.

And, thank God, I haven't even had a cavity in quite some time.

So, when it became clear that I needed to replace the crown (and went through the process of fitting for a new one,) it brought me back to that time when it seemed like I was in for a rude awakening every time I visited the dentist.

How to build workplace passion

Productivity begins with engagement and passion. Disengaged, dispassionate workplaces are much less productive.

It is well-documented that many folks are not passionate about their work. According to Deloitte research, “Up to 87.7 percent of America’s workforce is not able to contribute to their full potential because they don’t have passion for their work.”

Why you should sharpen your saw

The next “self-care” step is to “sharpen your saw,” to quote the habit devised by Stephen Covey.

Like a dulled saw cutting through a thick tree log, we produce diminished results when our depleted self attempts to “cut through” the daily grind and challenging projects. Even when we are working, we’re just going to get the same amount done or at the same level of quality.

To succeed over the long haul, we need to take care of ourselves through what we eat, the exercise and sleep we get, and more.

Preserving you: Preventing teacher burnout

Think of the first time you encountered teacher burnout. Where you were. What was going on at the time. The feelings. The experiences. The surroundings.

I'll tell you what it was for me. I was a new teacher in an Orthodox Jewish independent high school. I was fresh. I was idealistic. And I was going to change the world.

Each morning, my colleagues and I would convene in the teacher's lounge. On occasion, we would play a game.

Typically speaking, one doesn’t think of teacher lounges and games; there were no chess or Scrabble boards to be found. The game that we played had no name. I have named it in arrears the “make the calendar disappear” game.

BLOG