Back to Life, Back to Reality

Happy New Year!  The New Year seems to inspire a restructuring of our lives.  We try to become more organized.  We vow to eat healthier.  We set resolutions and goals to try to improve our everyday existence.  And here, at the Frugal Bookworm, I’m on that journey as well.

Since writing in August, school began in full force, and I threw myself into the duties of my job.  I developed a planning chart, each evening attempting some two additional hours of work outside the classroom.  I have worked ahead quite a bit, redesigning PowerPoint presentations, activities, and unit plans.  And I ignored the Frugal Bookworm.  *sigh*  This seems to be a repeating pattern in the past couple of years since becoming a teacher.  I’ve ignored my blog, my hobbies, and in many ways, my life.  I suppose that many teachers and professionals face this challenge.

Gradually last fall, I started to wear down.  I didn’t sleep well.  I developed extreme fatigue, joking over Christmas break that I was a “narcoleptic Christmas elf”.  By the time we had a three-week “snowcation” before Christmas break, I was exhausted, burned out, and experiencing heart palpitations.  After a visit to my doctor, which resulted in blood tests (most likely, I think, it’s my thyroid), an echocardiogram of my heart (which came back great, praise God!), and 48 hours with a halter monitor, I was terrified.  The three-week “snowcation” and some changes in medication helped my sleep (I think I’m almost caught up!), but more importantly, it’s resulted in some major shifting of priorities.

*knocking on the old noggin*  It’s time I spend more time focusing on the things that make me happy.  I like my job, don’t get me wrong.  But it’s time I remember how to take some time for me.  So you can expect that I’ll be spending a little more time here at the Frugal Bookworm.  I can’t promise I’ll post every day, but I’ll do my best.  Welcome back, me.