This one seems like it would be the easiest of my resolutions, but it's by far the most difficult! A couple months ago, my husband bought me a FitBit Flex for my birthday.
I love this thing! I wear it like a watch, and it records my activity throughout the day. I've worn it with a heart rate monitor, and it's pretty accurate at measuring the calories I'm burning! On things like a stationary bike it's useless, but I can enter that info on my own. Getting credit for my workouts is such a motivator!
Here's what my phone app looks like on a good day:
Before this year, I honestly rarely worked out. Having this tracker plus having friends to drag me to the gym have been key. It's hard to get myself there, but I feel so much better afterwards! It definitely has helped with stress, and with back pain caused by sitting in those tiny Kinder chairs too much!
Here's what else I've been working on:
- Sleep. I aim for 7.5 hours a night. Trying to keep a close-to-normal schedule on the weekends has helped. Staying up until 2am on Saturday and sleeping until noon really messes me up for the first half of the next week! I do much better if I'm in bed by midnight and up by 8 on the weekends.
- Drinking More Water. I bring a 24oz water bottle to school every morning, and start drinking as soon as I'm done with my coffee. Then I refill it at lunch.
- Bringing a Healthy Snack. I get crabby when I'm hungry! By first recess at 10:00, I'm usually starved. Just a few tablespoons of mixed nuts and dark chocolate is enough to hold me over. In the afternoon I munch on a granola bar.
- Getting to Work Earlier. I give myself a half hour before the work day starts to check email, surf around a bit, listen to music and sip my coffee in peace. I absolutely hate feeling rushed, so this helps me start the day in a more positive state of mind. It's also become a great time to work on this blog!
My first few years teaching, I really worked myself to death and neglected my health. I didn't realize how connected my physical/mental health were to my teaching until taking an incredible behavior management class by Fairy Dust Teaching's Sally Haughey. A happy teacher makes a better teacher!
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