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💆‍♀️Self-Care Series: Decision Fatigue is REAL 🥱 · ✨️Aligned and Thriving: For Teachers🌿

• 0:05
  Hey, hey, and. Welcome back to another episode
• 0:08
  of Aligned and Thriving for Teachers.
• 0:11
  It's Mel here again and today we are talking about something that
• 0:14
  I reckon so many of us. Feel.
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  Sometimes I think it's something we feel daily.
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  But we don't always have the words for.
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  So I'm going to give it a name. Actually, it probably.
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  Is the name of it. But anyway this is what I'm
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  calling it. We're.
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  Diving into decision fatigue. So if you've ever.
• 0:33
  Stared blankly into the fridge. At 5:30.
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  Thinking. What the heck?
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  Are we even having for dinner? This one is for you.
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  And while I'm saying this, I'm literally thinking, Oh no, what
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  are we having for dinner? I actually haven't got anything
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  out of the freezer. And if you're like.
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  Me, you've got to be this organised person.
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  You have. To have the.
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  Food out in the morning to process what?
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  You're going to do for the rest of the day.
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  So let me just pause for a SEC. While I actually run to the.
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  Freezer to get the food out because this is real life and
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  I'm going. To need to do that.
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  Before I forget and then. I'll come.
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  Back to you, but this is what we're going to talk about
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  decision. Fatigue.
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  OK, I'm back so. Part 1.
• 1:11
  The mental overload. Is real.
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  Honestly, being a. Teacher is like.
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  Being a walking, talking, decision making machine and if
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  you. Haven't heard all the statistics
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  before. About how many decisions we make
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  in a day? Please go and Google it because
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  you would be amazed about how many decisions we have to make
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  and how many questions we get asked in a day.
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  From the moment we open our eyes, it is decisions.
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  What to wear, What to eat? What activity to run?
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  Who needs extra support? Who?
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  Forgot their home reader? What's for recess, Judy?
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  What am I? Supposed to be doing and.
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  That's all just before the 1st Bell's.
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  Even gone and add in all your mental gymnastics of parenting
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  if you're a parent, where's their?
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  Library bag? Is it library day?
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  Is it dress up day today? Who's doing the pickup today?
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  Who have I got to get my? Children.
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  No wonder. By the end.
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  Of the day you've got? Absolutely.
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  No brain. Capacity to figure out what's
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  fatigue. So I know for me.
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  There are genuinely moments where I'm.
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  Like I could cry over a. Zucchini right now because my
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  head. Is just so full.
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  That if the next person can't make a decision for themselves,
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  I'm literally just going to fall apart.
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  I hope that you guys get. And they feel that way
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  sometimes. Too so.
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  The uniform hack. And this, to me, is a bit of a
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  tax. Bonus, it's a win win.
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  Let's talk about a life hack that's helped me.
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  Massively and it. Is school.
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  Uniforms. And no, I'm not.
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  Talking about the ones for children.
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  If your school has a staff. Polo or another top?
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  Get on it. Seriously, I buy staff, uniform,
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  whatever. Chance I get.
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  Why? Because it is. 1.
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  Less decision that I have to make in the morning and you can
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  claim it on your tax and claim. Laundry.
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  So hello, that's a win win in my books.
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  It's less mental energy spent and a bit of money back at tax
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  time because we barely get that back anyway.
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  Yes, please. I'd like more money in my
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  pocket. So that's.
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  Something that I. Use as a bit of a hack.
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  The other thing that I do with my uniform hack.
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  Is I. Plan what I'm going to.
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  Wear for the week. And I don't.
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  Know about you, but I don't really like.
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  To wear my. Casual clothes to work I like to
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  have a. Work uniform and then an.
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  Outside of work uniform so that when I.
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  Do see kids in town. I may not actually be wearing
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  the exact same clothes. Yes, I do have a couple of
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  outfit repeats. But I have.
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  Specific parts of my wardrobe. That are literally.
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  Just. For work and then I only wear to
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  work and then clothes. That I'd wear outside of work.
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  If you ask my husband, it's probably some of the clothes
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  that make in his head make me look like the grandma and wear
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  the longer. Dresses and those types of
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  things. The ones that you can and this
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  was one of my. University lecturers
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  descriptions You as a lady should be able to bend over.
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  Forwards and not see down your shirt.
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  Or up your skirt, yeah. Probably can't say that anymore
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  in a university lecturer environment, but at the time
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  that's. What we were told before we'd
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  go. Out on our prac placement so.
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  That's what I've gone with. Can I bend over and not look
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  down? And not look.
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  Up. Yep, we're good.
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  That's how I've helped to work out my.
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  Teaching uniform. The next.
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  Thing meal planning. Meal planning saves my sanity.
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  It's one of the. Biggest areas?
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  That I find I have decision fatigue and it it it just.
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  Hits hard, so when you've got. To stand there and think, what
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  am I packing for lunches? What am I eating for tea?
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  It just gets relentless, so this is what I do.
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  To make my life. A bit easier.
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  And it might help someone else too.
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  So I do a. Fortnightly online shop and get
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  it delivered to my house all the pantry.
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  Stuff the lunch. Box snacks and dinners.
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  I map it all out before I do my online order.
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  I can see what's in my pantry. I can map everything out and
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  plan a rough idea of what we might have over the next.
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  Two weeks that doesn't. Really include all of my fresh.
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  Veggies, sort of for the first week.
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  I might have some. Fresh stuff for the second week
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  I'd. Have to.
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  Go do another little stock up. Just on the way home from work,
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  but that's not hard to maintain. The biggest?
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  Stuff I find especially. If you.
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  Go to the supermarket hungry. You're not going to get all the
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  stuff that you need. Or you also do what I can do on
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  the flip side and buy 50. Of the wrong thing because you
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  thought you didn't get it last time, so now you've got a whole
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  bunch of it. Because you forgot that you got.
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  It in the last shop so I. Find when.
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  I do things online. I can have my phone with me and
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  walk through my house and go no I do not need more toilet.
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  Paper because I have over 50 rolls in the cupboard.
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  It's just helpful. As I said, yeah.
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  Then I top up my veggie shop during the week.
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  If I need to, I put a meal plan on the fridge.
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  So I don't even. Have to think about it.
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  Except for the process of. Looking at the.
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  Fridge like I forgot to do. Before I sat down to do the
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  podcast and thinking what I need to get out of the.
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  Freezer to have out. Ready for the night.
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  But I've done that now and. My freezer.
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  My freezer is full. Of frozen meals.
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  I'm talking spaghetti. Slow cookers, Juice curries.
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  You name it, you can just pull it out.
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  And go. And lots of.
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  Prepackaged stuff like healthier options high.
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  Protein options is my go. To so that I've got lunches to
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  take to work because. If I find I can go to the.
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  Freezer get out. Of lunch.
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  I know I'm going to actually have a minute to probably sit
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  down and eat that when I'm at work and I know it's a healthier
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  option. It's just like that whole
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  process. I just.
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  Sometimes I don't. Stick to the plan perfectly, but
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  just having a plan there means that my brain does not have to.
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  Do the work. Every single night it's like a
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  backup generator for my brain because the backup human in my
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  life when I do ask the question of.
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  What do you want for tea or what do you feel like for tea and
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  the. Answer is I don't know.
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  Or whatever you like. I would.
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  Really like to just have like a go to recipe for I don't know or
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  whatever or. Not sure there.
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  'D be a lot of meals that I could make out of those words.
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  But that's not what I want to be hearing at the end of my very
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  long decision fatigue day. So this is how we help.
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  Next thing. Some life.
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  Systems that work for me. So let me tell you, I've already
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  talked to you. About my wardrobe, getting
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  dressed. Hack.
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  Like. Choosing your clothes.
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  And yes. Because I'm a teacher, I think
• 7:42
  lots of these things through a. Little bit too much.
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  But I also have a. Spot in my wardrobe.
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  Actually. It's a curtain rail because
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  we've got blinds. We don't even use curtains.
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  But this is what I now use my curtain rail for.
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  It's really. Good as a drying rack.
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  To dry clothes, but it is also really good to.
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  Plan your outfits out for the. Week so nothing fancy, I just
• 8:03
  have 5 rough ideas of outfits ready to go.
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  It's just one less thing to think about when I get up at
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  4:45 and I do my Pilates and I get organised for the day.
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  I can just grab one of those outfits, take it.
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  Into the shower, not into the shower.
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  You know the bathroom, the. Take it in there and then get.
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  Ready for the? Day and I.
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  Can sort of. Have a quick look at the
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  weather. That's usually me going to my
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  husband and saying what's the weather?
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  Like this week. So then I can plan my outfits
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  and I can grab something there. The other thing we do is we have
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  like a. Family planner app I share it
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  with my mom and my husband and it's been a.
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  Lifesaver. For trying to coordinate all of
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  the things like the. School pickups, the sport
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  events, just everything. It's colour coded obviously,
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  because you. Should know by now that I thrive
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  of organisation. But yes, it's all.
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  Organised and there. And so.
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  My mom can look at it on her phone and go right.
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  What do the kids need? To do where do they need to be
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  tonight? And my husband can look at it
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  when he's having. Conversations going.
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  What are we doing on Saturday? Oh, that's what we're doing on
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  Saturday. OK, sorry.
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  I can't come all of those wonderful things.
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  So if you've seen my Instagram, you've probably seen that I also
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  have. Like my little?
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  Desk set up my station of calm. My label draws my colour.
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  Code and sticky notes, all of the things that just.
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  Make me feel like I have. One like I have one part of my
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  life under. Control because I.
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  Can organise things. So I probably if I say to you.
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  Can you send it to me in an email or can you write it down?
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  It's because I'm adding it to my little collection of things that
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  I need to get done for the week. Which is obviously all colour.
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  Coded and organised because that's.
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  What I do so? But in saying that you this is
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  another thing like you don't. Have to be the Pinterest teacher
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  or the Pinterest mum. Excuse me for Yodi.
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  Hello, this is real life. Just try to get some more oxygen
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  into my lungs here. That's.
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  That's what that was for. Now don't get me wrong, this is
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  what I'm saying. This works.
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  For me, I'm not saying you have to have a.
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  Fully stocked freezer. And a rainbow planner to have.
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  Your life together, but. When your mental.
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  Load is heavy. Anything that reduces your need
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  to think in that specific moment.
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  Is a gift maybe for you? That is preparing your snacks.
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  On a Sunday or doing your meal. Prepping.
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  Or. Using a.
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  Lunchbox rotation ID for yourself or doing a quick voice.
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  Memo plan for your day when you're driving to work.
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  It doesn't have to. Be perfect.
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  It's just there to help you. Lighten your load.
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  So if you. Are anything like me and you
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  actually struggle with decision fatigue?
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  Some of these. Tools are what I've what I've.
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  Ideas I guess are what's helped me.
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  To make my. Life easier so.
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  And you have more permission to make it easier.
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  If you're feeling like your brain is like one decision away
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  from combusting, I. See you this job, this life.
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  It asks a lot of us. And sometimes the most.
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  Powerful. Thing that we can.
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  Do is simplify give yourself? Permission to make.
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  Life easier pre decide. When you can automate the things
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  that don't need your genius. Use.
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  The same lunch. Every Tuesday, if that helps,
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  wear the same jolly polo. Claim your tax and most.
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  Of all, stop. Beating yourself up for feeling
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  exhausted, because it's not. Just you decision fatigue is
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  real, OK. I'm sure of it.
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  And you are doing a Really. Good job.
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  OK, so maybe this podcast. Maybe this episode.
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  Doesn't just. Relate to teachers.
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  It could relate to anyone because I.
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  Feel like we all struggle with decision.
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  Fatigue. And there would be.
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  Lots of. Posts on Instagram.
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  Facebook. TikTok.
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  All of the things where you could find lots.
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  Of little strategies that other people.
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  Might be doing to basically. Organise their.
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  Week and make things a bit. Easier.
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  But I just know. That we.
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  As an. Educator.
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  We make so many more decisions in a day.
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  Because we have. These little things around us,
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  and they might not be little if. You're a high school teacher,
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  but you have these other people that require your full.
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  Attention and they need an answer now and if I'm spending
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  my. Whole day devoting.
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  My time and attention to these wonderful little beings and I'm
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  trying my best to answer every little question that they may
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  have and make lots of decisions on the fly being in leadership.
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  Too of. Who's?
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  Going to take. That class, how are we going to
• 12:39
  cover that? Who's on duty now?
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  Where are we? Going with this, so by the end
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  of the day. I want to reduce my mental load
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  when I get home. So what?
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  Can I do to support? Myself, my family.
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  So that I. Don't become a.
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  Really scary fire breathing. Dragon when I walk.
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  Through the door to. My lovely household.
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  To basically destroy. Everything because I have been
• 13:01
  asked. What's fatigue?
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  So whatever you can. Do to make your life just that.
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  Little bit easier. Why?
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  Why don't you do it? Take that extra.
• 13:10
  Half hour on your Sunday afternoon when you could be
• 13:12
  having a big nap on the couch, I guess before you sit.
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  Down and watch TV or if it's me. Before you sit.
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  Down and watch. Footy maybe?
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  Just spend a little bit of time. Organising your week and getting
• 13:23
  stuff done so that. You.
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  Won't. Have this issue.
• 13:27
  With decision fatigue for the. Rest.
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  So it's just a win, win making your life a.
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  Little bit easier. Because that's what I'm about,
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  just helping everyone. Make their lives just that
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  little bit better. Just a little bit.
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  At a time. 1 episode at a time if I put it that way.
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  So. Thank you for being here with me
• 13:44
  today. If this episode gave you a
• 13:46
  little sigh of relief. Or made you.
• 13:48
  Laugh, I'd love for you to hit. The follow button if you can
• 13:52
  share it with your. Teacher educated friends.
• 13:54
  Or absolutely anyone that you think this might benefit.
• 13:56
  Even send me Adm on Instagram and tell me what?
• 13:59
  Your favourite freezer meal or go to is because you've.
• 14:03
  Got this I am going to be cheering you on always and I
• 14:06
  look. Forward to talking.
• 14:08
  To you again soon in my next. Episode.
• 14:11
  I'm getting close to the end of the self.
• 14:13
  Care Series. And we're going to move on to
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  something else, but I'm excited and I hope.
• 14:17
  You guys are too, so keep. Doing all of the things.
• 14:21
  Have a wonderful day and I'll talk to you again soon.
• 14:24
  Bye, guys.