Craig Verley

*Sniff, Sniff* “Ahhhh.” Nothing like that New School Year smell. Everything is clean, crisp, and new. It is always fun to see students returning to school, especially the elementary kids. This is also the time of year when your calendar is perhaps the least crowded for the entire school year. It feels like there will be plenty of time to get to all those things you want to accomplish this year, and more. This is where I imagine the famous meme of a well-known Hollywood star doing an interview while another mischievous Hollywood star is sneaking up behind him to wreak havoc.

Before your schedule and calendar get crammed full. Stop to take some time to do something that could help your productivity and your own stress levels as the snowball of the school year starts moving downhill, especially in the spring semester. Honestly look at what you know your days will be like in the coming weeks and months and find a time for yourself. I mean really do it! How many times do we hear about the importance of taking time for ourselves? The way I am looking at it, may not be what you are thinking.

Once you have thought about how your days/weeks typically go, especially in the spring; figure out a regular time when you can just deal with your own priorities or items…not everyone else’s. Maybe that means you go in to work 30 minutes early before the phones start ringing so you have that time to deal with some emails, adjust your to-do expectations for the day, scribble a few things down on a long-term project, etc. Maybe set aside some time on your calendar and truly block it out and not take outside calls during that time. Yes, you actually can do that.

You need that time! You deserve that time! By making that time a priority, you are helping your mental stress, moving things forward, and allowing yourself to touch base with some of the quiet creative possibilities that come with those moments. Plus, it can help you keep atop your goals for yourself and your department.

For me, this involved going into the office early. The building was quiet. I could slowly work my way into the workflow with my cup of coffee and my thoughts. I would review emails, and answer a few if they could be done quickly. I would look over my calendar for the day. I would look over my pile of work and figure out the important follow-ups that needed to take place that day. For me, this was a great way to ease into the day and then be ready to welcome members of my team as they arrived, and perhaps allow myself a few moments to visit as they did so. I like to think this also helped them ease into their days, instead of immediately being hit with their to-do lists, emails, and phone calls. We got to pause for a moment and be people before diving into the muck of the workday.

Originally, when I started arriving at the office early, it was more about avoiding a very messy traffic situation that would happen during a certain period of rush hour. After I moved closer to work, I kept that early arrival time as I realized that bit of quiet time to be able to review and reflect on projects, deal with a couple of emails, etc. was something that made a very real difference in my work and stress.

If you think you don’t have enough time in the day to set aside some of it for your own sanity in this way, I am willing to bet you are wrong. I used to be one of those non-believers, and I kind of cringe at the fact that I now sound like some of the self-help/improvement gurus who still make me roll my eyes. Most of the time I don’t think they ever really worked in the real world. If you are one of those who just does not believe in getting to work until you are required to be there; then find a time during the day that will realistically allow you to do what you need to, for your own to-do items and concerns. Your sanity will thank you by the time May 2025 rolls around.