Sunday, August 31, 2008

Stress!


Well, I made it atleast physically through the first week back to work. It was pretty tough. Up at 5:30am, getting myself and two kids ready for the day, out the door, to daycare and to work on time. Not to mention the craziness that is my job this time of year. Attempting to schedule 78 children into the OT schedules for the week without taking them from their core academics, their specials (music, art, etc.), and avoiding lunch and recess...is no easy task. Then on top of it all, there are not enough OT hours provided by the school system to cover all the needs. So I have to be creative, and efficient in making three schedules, for this large number of kids getting OT and all seven schools! Have a headache? I do when I think about it.
I told myself that I wasn't going to think about it during this long weekend, but coming online today I got an email about another new student that we have to fit in. It sent me to www.careerbuilder.com to look for something else. I really had had it! I kept thinking there has to be a place where the administration would value what I can do as an occupational therapist and appreciate the difficulty that lies in dealing with 78 kids, two assistants, some twenty-five special education teachers, and seven different schools. ugh! I promised myself that I wasn't going to let all this get to me this year, but...

Now I've complained too much!

Stress! I know, I know we all have stressful jobs. I am not the only one. I think I just have a harder time with stress management than most. How do you all handle stress? It is said that stress can have negative effects on your body and life. Maybe blogging will help relieve some.
Deep breath!

(atleast the wedding last night was a good start to stress relief! Thanks Vicki and Scott!) :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I sympathize with your plight!! How about grouping 2-3 kids if you can. If not, then have parents and/or teachers or administration decide which classes to sacrifice for PT time. That would take the responsibility off you if there are simply not enough hours. You can only do so much so don't give yourself an ulcer - you have a family, too. Good luck - keep us posted.
Love, SA

Anonymous said...

I know, that in the end, you will do this very well. In the meantime, remember that you are only one person (one very special person) and that you can only do what you can do. There are only two things that you really have to do today, "Breathe in and breathe out." Try some relaxation breathing, it helps. So does a glass of wine from time to time. We're back on the treadmill tomorrow, so enjoy tonight. Tomorrow will take care of itself....somehow. Love and God bless, AP xoxoxo

Amy and Andrew said...

I can't say that stress management is my forte, but one thing that helps me is relying on those in my life who are better at it and who help me to relax. And I second the glass of wine.