Work is important in your life, probably essential, so obviously, effort needs to go into that. But you also have your personal life to live as well and you really shouldn’t compromise there because that way lies madness. But how do you define a good working life? And how do you define a good outside life?
It’s an unanswerable question because different situations mean different things to different people. All that we know collectively is that it’s important to have that sense of balance because otherwise you begin to feel that you’re sacrificing your personal life for the sake of your job, or guilty that you aren’t putting in as much prep as you should do to do your job thoroughly. So splitting yourself in half down the middle (or rather, your time down the middle, just for clarification, no torture involved here) is the way to go, right? NO, because although the perfect work-life balance is the holy grail to most, finding it is just a little bit harder than it seems and pulling yourself in opposite directions constantly isn’t going to get you there. A gentle equilibrium is the best approach, so roughly half and half, not definitively half and half. With the growing popularity of mindfulness and keeping our bodies yoga-toned and healthy, it’s easier to see that there is more to life than work, and whatever you personally have outside of your work hours is important to preserve.
Our friends across the Pond have this to say – according to Alex Clark, a researcher from Edmond University in Canada: “We need to stop seeing hobbies and work as zero-sum games”, a view that is supported by the findings of the Corporate Executive Board in the USA, which show that “Employees who believe that they have a good work-life balance are 21% more productive.”
21% is a heck of a lot! But finding this good balance can be tough in any career, is it more so in a TEFL life?
Pros and cons
For a start, it’s not a prescribed job. It’s not 9-5 and it’s unconventional. It’s not a totally ‘out there’ occupation, but it’s a lot different to, say, an office-based, admin role. There are usually fewer hours to work, but there is a lot to do outside of these set hours: marking, lesson preparation, uploading assignments. It can’t all be crammed into your working hours. You might be looking at working weekends, afternoons and/or evenings, which means that your leisure time is limited to specific windows. And that might mean that you miss the cocktail evening going on.
One of the greatest draws of being a TEFL teacher is having the opportunities for a travelling lifestyle. Do you fancy going shopping, or sunbathing, in the afternoon? Or maybe a swim before work? It’s perfectly possible if you choose the right destination. Do you prefer to have a lie in the morning? Again, perfectly possible if you choose the right school. It makes your daily life more enjoyable.
When we get to the holidays, this is where it can be a bit tricky. One of the best things about being a teacher anywhere is the long holidays, which are great, but as TEFL teacher they’re unpaid. Which gives you the choice between working very hard and sacrificing leisure time in order to save up so you don’t need to work and you can enjoy the holidays unencumbered. But this means you’ll be very short on downtime while you’re doing this. Or, working as usual and then taking summer jobs, which means you’ll be having the same work/life dilemma year-round.
Are you trying to achieve that elusive balance?
Here are some pointers below to get you started.
- Decide on what your priorities are and stick to them. That means going through both your work life and personal life with a fine-tooth comb and making dome concrete decisions. Don’t copy what others are doing, or necessarily tread the same path as they have, this is all about you and your life. Comparison is the thief of joy, as they say.
- Don’t neglect your basic needs. No one can live forever on a diet of chocolate and snatched coffees. Take the time to eat properly, exercise and get enough sleep. You won’t be doing your best for your students if you aren’t doing the best by yourself. Self-care is also important, doing the things which make you happy. Socialising, for instance. You don’t need to feel that you’re either working – or resting and recharging.
- Don’t take your work home. Easier said than done, we know, we know, but completing what you need to do AT work and then leaving it behind is far better for your mental health than popping it on the kitchen table to stare at you all weekend. You won’t have the temptation to ‘just do a bit more marking’, and you can switch off from what it represents. If it’s constantly in your eyesight then the chances are that any problems or issues are going to be invading your mind.
- Follow your body clock. Being a TEFL teacher is a flexible medium, so if you know that you are a night owl and unlikely to go to sleep before 2am, or an early bird up by 6am, then you’re free to choose a school and location that caters for this. You don’t want to be fighting what your body naturally does day to day if you can help it.
- Have a hobby. Reading and watching TV is all well and good, but having a hobby outside work is definitely a good thing for your own mental health. Pick something that takes your focus off work, preferably offers some exercise and is something that you can turn to after a bad day to forget all about it.
Once you’ve started doing these things, you’ll probably find that everything falls into place naturally, giving you the chance to be at your most happy whilst you’re being an EFL teacher.
No Comments