Finding Balance as Teachers and Students

The school year begins. We must ACTIVELY pursue downtime in the form of truly enjoyable experiences that are not connected to school, or we will become overwhelmed. We must seek active engagement in events that are internally pleasurable rather than externally-mandated. Active engagement does not include sitting in front of a TV or a computer screen "socializing" on Facebook; it does include doing something that requires effort and focus on something not related to school in any way. With active focus, one can get into "the flow" (click to understand this concept developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi).

I am embedding a video of a few people who find the time to do what they really enjoy and get into "the flow". Spent Ex is a band that includes three teachers from the same school - two English teachers and a German teacher. On top of teaching, one runs the school's theater program, one heads the writing center and is the assistant dean of students as well, and the third is the director of student activities. They are strong candidates for being overwhelmed. They wear ties. They help students build character. They model expectations of the "real world". AND they balance life with what they love - massively manic music. After listening to them, think about what you can focus on that gets you into "the flow". It can be running, it can be cooking something new for friends, it can be anything where you are physically and mentally engaged. And yes, there is a story in the video!

I am looking for ideas to help me get into "the flow". Please add your ideas in the comment box, read those of others, expand on them.  Let's share - so we can all get into "the flow".

And now ... SPENT EX, Live at the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, August 29, 2014 ... Enjoy! (ONLY if you cannot play this video directly, you can also access it on You Tube here ). Oh yes, for those who know the band, there is a treat here at 6:00 minutes :)