Last updated on December 4th, 2023 at 05:31 pm
My first year teaching— now almost a decade ago– I distinctly remember the overwhelming feeling of dread I had preparing to go back to teach after a glorious weeklong respite for Thanksgiving.
That Sunday, teetering over the edge of Monday, loomed in a pallor of doom as I tried to fight my twisting maelstrom of emotions.
The next morning, I threw up.
While the Sunday Scaries are famously known across a range of occupations, that intense back-to-work anxiety has been especially talked about in teacher circles like ancient passed-down legends. It’s not uncommon for teachers, even those of us who enjoy our roles, to face a number of extreme and difficult situations in our jobs that we can’t help but dread returning to.
After that initial return to work, I found more and more ways to slay the dragon, so to speak. It’ll probably never be a complete vanquishing of the fear until you quit teaching. But these simple methods can make it better.
Chase off Sunday Scaries with a perspective shift
It’s hard to gain perspective in the thick of something– believe me, I know.
It can be a great challenge for us to zoom out of a situation we’re in, to see just how short a period of time it really is in the whole span of our lives.
But zoom you must. Because it’s the clearest path through.
I taught for five years before quitting to substitute teach, become a mom, and engage myself in a flurry of other activities. My teaching years seem like a short blip in my life, from this vantage point.
Try to pick a simple goal: To get through the day, the week, maybe the month of teaching. Pick a milestone or finish line. Then sticky tack your eyeballs to that check point.
It’s like advice given to beginner runners: If you can’t run a mile, run 0.5. If you can’t run half a mile, run a few street lengths. Make up your own milestones if you need to just to get through it when you’re exhausted and feeling like giving up– pick up your feet, step by step, and get to the next mailbox, the next street light, the next block.
Keep telling yourself this will come to an end. Maybe you’ve realized this situation or career is not for you, and you need a complete change. That’s okay, too. I have a few articles on the site about leaving teaching, including how to know if it’s really time to call it quits.
Prepare some simple pleasures to add happiness to challenging times
Perspective shifting is my most important tip. But after that, there are little joys you can add in that can make a tough season of life more bearable.
Think of ways you could infuse a bit of enjoyment into your day using each of the senses.
Taste is what comes to my mind first. Is there a delicious food that you could prepare that would add in some delight to the day? Maybe you could plan to make a special latte before heading to work. Or you could mix together chocolate chip pancake batter and refrigerate it overnight, ready to go in the morning. (I don’t care how old or mature you are, chocolate chip pancakes are amazing and contain within them the power to change the course of a morning!) Or maybe you could pack a good lunch or decide on a restaurant to visit after school.
But we can go further than taste for our little sparks of happiness. Is there an especially inspiring or fun playlist you could play en route to work? Maybe there’s a soothing, lilting coffeehouse jazz play list that you can keep tinkling in the background during class that puts you at ease.
As far as your olfactory senses go, you could wear a treasured perfume or light a warm, cozy candle when you return home from work.
I also recommend planning an enjoyable activity after work— even if it’s out of your routine. You may never go to the beach on a weekday, but you know what? Getting through this day back is something to celebrate. So go for it– when that dismissal bell rings, head to the shore to kick off your shoes and walk along the waves and take in deep breaths of saltwater air.
Or you could make plans to watch a movie, hang out with family or a friend, or take a nap.
I find my difficult situations infinitely more bearable if I have something specific to look forward to.
Here are some ideas for joy infusions:
- Make a new Pinterest board planning a vacation
- Try a fun, new recipe
- Drink hot cocoa
- Visit a small bakery or coffee shop
- Go to the mall for a hot pretzel and to see your reflection in the department store tile
- Make cookie dough and squish it all together into a pan for a mega cookie
- Take your kids to a new park
- Take your dog on a walk
- Buy a treat for your pet
- Start a new novel you’re excited about
- Go to the library for a fresh book haul
- Get a couple new houseplants
- Tend to some outdoor household projects
- Print out a few favorite memes and tape them to a wall
- Make a playlist called “Starlight” and listen to it on evening drives
- Start a craft or DIY project you’ve had sitting on your Pinterest boards
- Go somewhere with a view
- Play tag with your kids, spouse or pet
- Watch behind-the-scenes, bloopers or extended versions of your favorite show or film
- Experiment with a new hairstyle
Practice gratitude during tough teaching seasons
Beyond that hard first year of teaching, my career was punctuated with other really difficult periods. I’ve come up against so many seemingly insurmountable trials– but I’ve gotten through them.
With each challenging season passed and overcome, you can be grateful.
You can be grateful that this is just a job. Jobs can be quit and switched, and though you might object that it’s not that simple, remind yourself that jobs are, in fact, temporary situations.
Even in the dark times, there is much to be grateful for if we take time to think and be creative about naming each blessing.
If all you can come up with right now is being grateful for the paycheck, start there. Practice reminding yourself of that provision each day. Practice finding other things to be grateful for– the commiserating teacher bestie across the hall, the funny thing a student said that morning, the room full of kids that need you.
Being intentionally grateful immediately benefits the practitioner, and it gets better as it forms into a daily habit. Instead of thinking of a marathon to-do list the next day or dozens of job-related uncertainties and fears already threatening to bust down the door, stop the spiral in its tracks by listing five, ten, maybe twenty things you’re thankful for.
Combating those Sunday Scaries
Lay a foundation for ridding that return-to-work overwhelm by shifting perspective. Envision a specific finish line to this crazy period of time. Fixate on that goal post.
Then, add in a few (or 10!) fun things to your day and week ahead. The simplest and smallest of joys can add up and make trudging through the middle of the obstacle course that much more bearable.
Finally, sprinkle in some gratitude. Don’t brush this one off– it’s important, and requires your intentionality.
That’s my recipe for fending off the Sunday Scaries (which I still experience from time to time as a substitute teacher!). Teachers, subs– any ideas to add to the mix? Let me know in the comments. I truly appreciate you!
