Heads Up TEFL Teachers, Balance Your Work-Life Now

19th April 2022

Be it any profession, having a work-life balance is of utter importance because having a strenuous work-life is hazardous. These days multiple webinars, seminars, and workshops are being conducted that preach how to balance teaching and life and these webinars are really significant for TEFL teachers. I totally agree with the fact that the job market is pretty competitive but then again it is always expected that the personal life of English teachers should never lose peace of mind.

Let's see what happens when a TEFL teacher has a poor work-life balance.

Maintaining a good work-life balance is absolutely necessary. An English teacher having a TEFL certificate who aspires to work abroad must know how to achieve work-life balance as a teacher. It is because TEFL courses will definitely help you fetch a job abroad and to be very honest, settling down abroad and leading a smooth life really needs a lot of adjustment skills.

A poor work-life balance will lead to several health issues at a huge amount. Stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, digestion issues, and many other health issues get generated due to an overload of work. It is undoubtedly awesome to be ambitious but one must remember that health comes before everything. Thus, if you're not healthy enough to teach your learners, your TESOL course or TEFL certification course will be in vain. Besides, ESL teachers having eye-sight issues encounter various eye problems when they're teaching English as a foreign language online (working from home).

Teaching jobs may sound fancy but the life of a TEFL certified teacher is not that easy. Teaching skills do not end with delivering lectures and evaluating a student's scorecard but also keeping an eye on how learners are getting along with the lesson plan and gradually growing better. It is always advisable for ESL teachers to set boundaries so that they do not overburden themselves with their jobs. Therefore, let me suggest to you some methods if tried properly will surely help you to have a balanced work-life.

Steps to maintain a healthy work-life balance:

TAKE A BREAK:

This could have come after a while but I thought that a break from something grave will break the monotony and refresh your mind. This is a superb technology. Instead of preparing for the next class, get a file ready for that class beforehand and utilize the break between two classes. Grab a cup of coffee, read something funny, or if possible meditate in that period of time. Caffeine will provide you energy for the next class, a funny article or comic will make you laugh and that is good for health, and meditation will restore your health and calm your nerves.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Trust me, memes are healing people faster than therapy these days! You can always check memes on Facebook or Instagram and laugh your heart out. If you're someone who loves world news Twitter and LinkedIn are going to be your relief. Chatting with friends on an online platform and replying to friends in the school group does a miracle!

A GOOD FOOD HABIT:

Unless you're eating something healthy, you can never focus on your job. Speakers of other languages wait direly for your lectures and if you fail in delivering your best effort, your fame as an ESL teacher will stoop down. Thus, never forget to eat healthily and by healthy I do not mean salad and susi. You can bake keto mug-cakes which are delicious and takes only 5-10 minutes to get baked. The ingredients are minimal and it is healthy as well. You can munch nuts like almonds, cashew, pistachios, etc., in the middle as well.

HYDRATE YOURSELF:

Drinking a minimum of 2 liters of water daily is necessary to keep your body hydrated but we all know that it is not always possible to sip water. Well, there are a lot of alternatives to keep yourself hydrated but for god sake, do not opt for soda or soft drinks that are full of preservatives and sugar. Those things will please your taste buds for real but will act as inhibitors to your metabolism.

Try to have organic fruit juices and detoxifying water. Organic fruit juices are available in the market but please be cautious about the ingredients before buying. Preparing a jar of detoxifying water is pretty easy. All you need is some slices of orange and mint leaves and put them into a 1-liter bottle of water. There are plenty of detox water bottles available where a natural process of osmosis takes place. Every time you sip that water, you'll get a sweet taste along with the citrus nutrition.

ASSEMBLE YOURSELF:

Last but not the least, you must be well prepared for your classes. Spend one hour at max every day to prepare for the lecture you're going to deliver the next day. Suppose you have to conduct 3 classes the next day, keep three files ready with you having all the papers regarding the lesson plan, batch history, potential of your learners, assessments if any, and so on. This is a vital step because if you keep yourself ready, you'll feel less stressed.

The bottom line is that there is stress in every profession but if tackled properly, every stress can be gotten rid of. You just have to breathe out, think deeply, take some time, and plan your strategy accordingly. Remember, every mission has a particular strategy without which nothing can be achieved. Being a TEFL teacher life might seem hectic but then again without hard work nothing can be achieved.

So, the TEFL certified teachers who are damn passionate about their goals and profession, stay healthy, keep your calm, and give your best! Success will run after you.