NST January: Health, Wealth and a Life Well Lived

Fmess and apple as a fellow teacher I can tell you that every teacher I know is saying exactly the same. I can't imagine doing this till retirement, it's taking over my life, it's too full on to do full time. I'm in the unlucky bunch that can't retire till 68!

Another NSD today taking me up to 2.

We will need milk soon so may try to eke it out until Friday as will be spending then as got late Xmas work do.

((mothernerd)) so sorry to read what happened to you - I hope you weren't too shaken up?

That sounds horrible mothernerd, hope you're ok.

A few spends today - bought thank you cards, stamps and toothpaste. As I was spending anyway, I picked up a few bits in the supermarket that we'll need in the next few days.

So still on 2/18 NSDs.
Budgets - food £9.58/£150, social £0/£50, petrol £0/£100.

Thank you for all your kind words. I was uset but not traumatised. Okay once it was over as I just thought he was sad and pathetic. Felt vulnerable because I was ill and there were so few people around and even though he was 'doughy' he was still a lot bigger and probably stronger than me. I have got very comfortable with my middle aged woman invisibility shield - being propositioned isn't what you expect when you are 5 stone overweight and nearly 60 yo.

Putting my positive head on, it's another good reason for losing weight if the fat doesn't protect me from unwanted advances and at least I would be in better shape if I needed to fight or run. Maybe it's good to know I still have a market value even if I could never capitalise on it. Sorry if that's my last chance of a side hustle apple.

A NSD today as I have not left the house. Feeling bloated and sick so have only just eaten for the first time today. Sent my apologies to crafts - we were only doing card making and colouring. Thought it would have given me more time to get organised but had another sleep.

Read and wrote out a useful article on getting started when you are overwhelmed by the mess - some of the steps were things I already do (checking for appointments and any bills or tasks with deadlines) but some of the steps will help me. I always put the bins out however ill or exhausted I am so if assign each day one regular job that must be done, I will start to catch up.

I already have a scribbled down flow chart with 3 headings and 3 actions that I need to incorporate. I have been working on this stuff but I am moving at the speed of treacle. The thing bothering me the most atm is my bedroom (!!! home office/ craft room/ business office/ workspace). The kitchen is a mess but I can limit the time I spend in there. I want my bedroom to be my sanctuary but also to function effeiciently as a work space and at the moment it's not working as either. Getting fed up with how to declutter articles telling me to take everything out (only options are tiny landing - 6'6" x 2'6" between my room and the bathroom and the bit at the top of the stairs, all of which already has things like the ironing board, a file box and the overflow of clothes from their room along the edges or to once more line the bath with bin bags and pile everything in there). Also annoying people who 'cleared a basement in a weekend' when the after pictures show a space twice as big as my house with the retained furniture set out in the corners like little room sets.

Enough moaning - I just think the mess is a reflection of all the stuff that has been going on in my head over the past 12? years and I need to find a solution fast. I have made it part of my next 5 years plan (along with next (final) kitchen complete witha ny necessary adaptations and the garden redone to be waist high/ wheelchair usable) - don't think I can go for the full 'little house' solution of stepped stairs made of furniture going up to a loft bed BUT maybe a hospital height bed which I can perch/ slide onto with storage cube ends and pull out wheeled storage taking up the underbed space. I don't want to go back to a single bed but could perhaps compromise with a 4' bed and if I had some sort of pull down worktop that could cover it in the daytime. Anyway that is the future, need to find something I can live with now.

Could also have aorkspace in the kitchen if I could tackle the massive job of sorting it, making all Beloved's gadget accessible but not in the way and then rearrange things to suit me. The elephant will get eaten.

Today I am grateful for sleeping comfortably, for food made by Beloved and for a hot bath.

Dizzy I daren’t look at when they’re predicting my retirement! I don’t know one teacher who says they’ll make it to a ‘normal’ retirement age in the job or one that doesn’t long to go part time so they can have two days off a week and not lose their weekends and every night to work.

Dancingdragons Everyone is different and I wouldn’t want to dissuade you from your dream. My reality of teaching is that I love being in the classroom but I work 60+ hour week each week and the job is never done and I often feel I’m barely doing a half decent job. I know one full time teacher who has children under 16, everyone else is part time to try and get some family time. As a single childless person, I struggle with full time hours and the workload and I don’t have a good work life balance, but at least it’s only me who suffers. Good luck with what you decide to do, please keep us posted. It can be an amazingly rewarding job.