We often hear about the invisible load of teaching - the split second decisions, the overwhelm of classroom management, the constant exhaustion from being asked so many questions. But what if there was another layer of challenge? What if your mental health during the luteal phase of your cycle is making everything worse? What if the split second decisions gave you anxiety that leads to procrastination? What if the classroom management had you overthinking your split second decisions? What if the constant questions made you want to snap? Or maybe the continuous repeating yourself because kids aren’t paying attention to you when you give instructions. Maybe you’ve responded in a less than appropriate way because that layer was blocking your ability to think straight? I will tell you that girrrrrl, I have been there. And while during about 20 days of the month, it's all manageable but for the luteal phase of my cycle, I’m crippled with major debilitating pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder. Where everything is 1000% worse than it really is, everyone is out to get you, your tolerance has disappeared and everything hurts. The University of Oxford states that about 1.6% of women experience very strict symptoms of PMDD - PMS on steroids : Mood changes like depression and anxiety (I have intrusive thoughts and overeat) Physical changes such as breast tenderness and joint pain (my back and boobs hurt and I’m so bloated), constipation and breathing difficulties Cognitive problems like difficulties with concentration and memory complaints Women who struggle with this can even be dealing with suicidal thoughts or ideation - which can be very scary. Pair all of these things with teaching all day - and there is a recipe for disaster, especially when there is yet another layer of challenge - romantic relationships/marriage AND your own children. And TRIPLE WHAMMY - I have ADHD which exacerbates everything even more. The diagnosis itself can even be a feat - the potential requirement to track your cycles for nearly a year. One thing that really stuck out in my research was that many women outside of the US often don’t have the same issues as American women but the longer they live here, the more prevalent the symptoms. Lastly, white women are more often diagnosed than black women. What does this mean? Food, perspectives, movement, so many reasons why it's different. So what can be done to avoid or help manage these symptoms? Firstly, I started reading a ton when I was diagnosed last year (I read a lot before then but mostly so that I could discuss with my OBGYN). I found reputable sources and joined support groups on Facebook, watched and took lots of notes on webinars and got educated. I was already working out (join my teacher fit club here !), I don’t smoke and don’t have a history of thyroid issues. But I did have a history of depression and anxiety - closely linked with seasonal depression. I added supplements (see below) and avoided too much caffeine during my luteal phase - I really like my coffee so some major self-control and delicious green and chai tea were a must. In addition, I started tracking my cycle and could pinpoint the day when my symptoms started blowing up and it’s been like clockwork. All that being said, I still struggle on the ‘blow up day’ and it severely affects my relationships, which is something I’m constantly working on. Oftentimes, criticism and rejection sensitivity creeps in along with intrusive thoughts that are all hard to ignore. If you’re a woman struggling with PMDD or you think you are - I’m here to tell you you’re not alone! Comment below if you’re a teacher and suspect you have PMDD or if you’re diagnosed. I'd love to hear how you manage your workload during this time! Sources: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-01-30-new-data-shows-prevalence-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder https://www.verywellhealth.com/pmdd-facts-and-statistics-6361195 Supplements from Shaklee: Cheer Up and Chill Out - Ashwagandha, LTheanine, Saffron, B-Vitamins Good Gut and Go - Pre and probiotic fiber Awaiting in the mail as of the date of this publication: MoodLift Complex - St. John’s Wort, Siberian Ginseng and Inositol Omega Guard - Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Are you spending late nights, early mornings, weekends…grading, planning and stressing? I hope not because if so, you may have some disordered boundaries. You’re not being paid to work on the weekends so you shouldn’t! With four preps, I have found myself in this position and drowning in work because I was working: 1. Harder than my students and 2. Harder than smarter. If your workload is overwhelming and you find yourself putting in way more hours than you should be, have you thought of ways to streamline some processes? Some ideas might be to… ➡️Grade tests as a class or use Google forms or Canvas to automate. ➡️THROW away practice work they turn in, not everything has to be graded! ➡️Choose just one day a week to grade work for a level or class period (example : I only grade French IV on Mondays) ➡️ Use class time for students to work on independent items such as math homework so they can ask questions as they go and you can informally assess and give feedback. What else can you think of to eliminate extra work outside of class? What are you already doing? I’d love to hear about it! And if you try any of my suggestions above, I’d love to hear how it worked for you!