Unicorns, flying pigs, and work-life balance- one of these things is not like the others.
The first two are impossible to find, and the third often feels like it. With Australian teachers averaging a 46.5 hour work week New Zealand teachers at 47.5 hours, both well above the OECD 41 hour average, finding balance is important to mental health and avoiding burnout.
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But, trying to find more time in the week can feel impossible, and change doesn’t happen overnight. So, whether you’re aiming to spend more time with the whanau, take up a new hobby or make a start on a growing pile of unread books, School News has some top tips for squeezing a bit more ‘me time’ out of 2026.
1. Identify your working style
Teachers’ working hours can feel very fixed, and of course some of them are. When students are at school, teachers need to be there, too! However, it pays to think about how to structure the rest of the working week.
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Finding balance here is personal and there is no one-size-fits all. Consider when you work best- if you’re not an early riser, getting to school early might be useless if you spend the first half an hour desperately trying to get enough caffeine on board to get through the day.
Similarly, you might find yourself re-reading the same sentence four times by 5.30. Identify when you work best – and when this fits into other commitments – and aim to get most of your prep and assessment work done then.
2. Think about what can wait
This one’s very difficult when you feel like you’re only just keeping your head above water, and/or if you’re a perfectionist. Most would agree that in teaching, the work is never truly done – there’s always another task, something else to read up on, another plan to make.
There’s power in accepting this and planning accordingly. List-making can help here. Set up a note on your phone to keep tabs on what needs to be done today, this week, this term or this year. Accept that the list won’t be fully ticked off; some items may need carrying over, and that’s okay.
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Note-keeping can also be useful if you’re the kind to wake in the night worrying about what has and hasn’t been done. Add it to your note – preferably with a blue light filter on your phone – and know that you can come back to it in the morning.
3. Commit to less commitment
Can you really take on another club, another duty, or organising another event? Many teachers are attracted to the profession because they have a deep love for their community and helping others, so it makes sense that they want to do as much as they can.
The need is there, too, with limited funding everywhere and access to clubs and extra-curricular activities presenting more of a challenge in rural areas. It can be tempting to agree to just one more thing, especially when it’s ‘for the kids’.
However, as the old saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Guilt can be a common feeling when saying ‘no’, but sometimes it’s crucial to preserve your own wellbeing – for you, your loved ones, and the students you teach.
4. Look for time sinks outside work
It can also be useful to assess how you use your time outside work; not so you can do more or work harder, but to maximise your time off. There are two main sources of ‘time sinks’ (a politer way of saying ‘wastes of time’); must-dos that take up more time than they need to, and things that don’t need to be done at all.
The first can be tricky. You and your family need clean laundry, to eat dinner, and to get to and from work and school. There might be workarounds, however – could the kids sort the rubbish and recycling for a few bucks a week? What about a meal prep service to take the edge of grocery shopping and the endless decision making about dinner?
The second involves the short bursts of happiness we get from things like scrolling through social media. It’s easy to flop on the couch with mindless TV and an endless feed of viral dances and cute cats, getting a quick hit of dopamine at the end of a long day.
It feels harmless, but can be really hard to let go of. Setting app timers (look for ‘digital wellbeing’ or ‘screen time’ in your phone’s settings) that cut off use after a set time can be a good reminder that watching the fortieth clip in a row isn’t actually better than going to bed or chatting with a loved one.
5. Schedule some fun
Rewards and hobbies are important – make sure you have time for them. Exercise is important, as anyone who isn’t living under a rock will know, but so is social time and self-care.
Make sure you’re doing at least one thing a week that’s actually fun; if it also makes you smarter or fitter, that’s great, but it shouldn’t be the main point. Make coffee plans with a friend, take the dog for a run somewhere scenic, fire up that video game you’ve been meaning to play and remember that work is a big part of life, but not the only part.
