Feeling Mentally Exhausted? Discover the Power of "Good Enough

How to reduce mental exhaustion?

“Good enough” is fine, not perfect.

Many times, we want to be perfect but ignore the fact that "80 points is enough." When marking assignments, rather than spending two hours writing long feedback, it is better to focus on the key points and give simple and clear suggestions. This will help students and protect your energy.

Focus on the things that will have the biggest impact.

Teachers have limited time, so instead of nitpicking over every detail, they should focus on things that can really impact students’ progress. For example, instead of carefully correcting every word, it is better to find common mistakes and summarize them into simple study suggestions. This is both efficient and helpful.

Categorize and address students’ needs.

Worried about students of different abilities? Try layered feedback, for example:

Basic students: Mark the mistakes and give simple demonstrations.

Advanced students: Provide challenging suggestions to guide their thinking. This can avoid excessive internal friction and ensure that every student benefits.

Set time limits to avoid endless wrangling.

Set a time for yourself, such as "spend no more than five minutes on each assignment," and put it down when the time is up. This will prevent yourself from getting lost in the details and help you learn to complete your work efficiently.

Let go of the idea that “it’s my fault if students don’t make progress.”

The teacher's responsibility is to provide help, but whether students make progress also depends on their efforts. Learning to distinguish between "the part I can control" and "the part I cannot control" can help you reduce unnecessary anxiety.

Excessive internal friction will not make things better; it will only make you more tired. Learning to let go of your obsession with perfection and focusing on the most important things will make your work easier, more efficient, and allow you to enjoy teaching more.

But the key is, if a person is unwilling to change, no one can change for them. Only when we realize the problem of internal friction and are willing to adjust our mindset can we truly reduce stress and save our energy for important things.

Just like life and teaching, simplicity and effectiveness are more important than complexity and perfection!

Thank you for reading!