I think I've had a cold since September.

Most days I will blow my nose a few times and maybe sniffle a little…but this week I think my cold has transformed into an ugly sinus infection. I feel miserable and can't think of much else, so I have been researching why first year teachers are always sick (I'm not a first year teacher, but just go with it). The most common reasons seem to be:

• exposure to a plethora of germs
• stress
• lack of sleep
• not enough fruits and veggies
• not enough exercise.

Let's see if these apply to me...

• Germs - I am definitely exposed to a lot of germs. On Wednesday, as my students were heading out to recess, a little girl took a used tissue out of her pocket and thrust it in my hand while asking, "Can you throw this away for me?" I tried to dodge it but the damage was done. I try to wash my hands several times a day, especially before eating or touching my hair/face, but it's harder than I thought it would be.
• Stress - I have been feeling pretty stressed lately. I only have a month left in my current placement, and I'm sad to have to say goodbye to the students I love so much! I also recently went to an information session for a recruitment agency that places teachers in independent schools, and I need to have an updated resume, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose well before January 1st. It feels like applying to grad school all over again! Additionally, I'm not even 100% where I want to work next year, which makes thinking about applying to jobs a tad overwhelming…So, I'm stressed about saying goodbye to my current students and finding a job for next year, but I also have this thing called homework to worry about. Homework consists of lots of readings for class, as well as the upcoming Term III assignment which I am currently working on. There are always a million things I could be doing, so yeah, I guess I am stressed. 
• Lack of sleep - I find it really hard to accomplish good work in the evening, so I have been waking up early to do homework. The issue is that I'm not going to be any earlier than I was before I started doing that. Looks like I need to go back to the drawing board on that one.
• Fruits and veggies - Yeah, yeah, yeah, I could always eat better. 
• Exercise - On days when I go to student-teach, I walk about 2.5 miles. On days when I am just going to Penn, I walk about 1.5 miles. I wish that walking could count as my exercise, but I know I could be doing more. It's one of those things where I know I would feel better if I exercised, but it's hard to get in the habit of making time for it. When push comes to shove I would rather sit on the couch and watch Doctor Who with James instead of go for a run. Plus, it's getting coooooold! But okay. I'll concede with this point just like I did with the fruits and veggies. I could be doing better. 

So I guess I understand why I'm sick, but that doesn't make it anymore fun! Here's hoping that spending a lazy Saturday in my pajamas will put me on the road to recovery. And I just ate a huge carrot (like the Bugs Bunny kind) - so here's to turning over a new (healthy) leaf!