April 29, 2025 – Visiting Family

In the last year or so, I’ve been focusing on work life balance and REST. In the beginning of 2024, I almost burned out. I had to catch myself. Saying “yes” to everything is unreasonable. As a result, I spent most of 2024 focussing on what “makes me happy” and ended the year with a few wins: (1) bought a townhouse; (2) gallbladder operation; and (3) ending the term well and feeling good about it. I also went to Las Vegas with my siblings and my kid in the winter time, and I spent the Christmas holiday in my new place. XO. I feel very grateful for 2024.

Now that we are almost 4-months into the 2025 school year, I wonder how I am doing with maintaining a work-life balance. I think that I am fully moved into my place and I believe that I have all that I want to have in my new place. My twin brother brought back a few boxes from Vancouver to Prince George, of which are stored in my garage. I do need to organize my garage, in a good way. So, I guess my home is a work in progress. I have also purchased a small BBQ and a plant for the patio. The plant did not survive, but I am enjoying BBQ dinners.

As for work, I’ve enjoyed my 4 classes in the Winter 2025 term. First, I was teaching classes that were in my areas of interest: math/numeracy, assessment, educational theory & practice, and instructional leadership. I enjoyed the subject matter and the students. I also learned a lot about myself and my practice. If anything, it was a fruitful semester and I look forward to teaching these courses again. Research is also part of my work. I was able to maintain the work for one research team and I learned how to co-create and submit a harmonized ethics application for another research group of which “I am leading.” It’s been too fun.

Once the marks were submitted, I took the time to taper the term with other work that I do with respect to service and research, but also take time for myself. For years, I would push myself and “keep going” rather than taking the time to rest and restore myself to keep what I do at the university sustainable. So, I did take a few days to go to the Lower Mainland to rest, get a massage, and visit family. As much as I could feel guilty in taking time for myself (beyond “be a person day”… aka. Saturdays), I feel that I needed to let my body and mind to do what it needed to do, to be where it needed to be, and be feel ready for the next term.

Now, I am heading back to work (after the Federal Election), and I feel good. It’s a lot of cognitive and emotional work to break habits that I’ve done for decades and find a new rhythm to keep what I do sustainable and enjoyable. Stress and busyness are not good metrics for success or happiness. I look forward to a term of writing and getting some stuff done. I have one more “promise” I have made to myself to conclude to the winter term. Let’s see how this goes. In the meantime, I am very happy with my work at the university and hope to continue for another few years with a renewed term contract. Onwards and upwards. 🙂