All teachers need a break during the day, and homeschool teachers are no exception. When you are scheduling the school day, leave time for a non working break. Flip through a magazine or sit out on the patio and daydream. This is not the time for folding laundry or doing dishes - it is a 15 or 20 minute scheduled break. Enjoy a cup of tea, or walk down the block - a time when you can stretch your mental muscles and revive your spirit. I know I am talking to someone out there who feels guilty every time she relaxes.

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Relaxation should be a planned part of your day. I even planned a relaxation month. Assigning themes for different months of the year, I record them under the Goals section of my notebook. October is Cleaning for the Holidays, but August is Planned Relaxation. During that month I record my relaxing moments in my notebook, just as I would any other activities. My favorite August activity is sipping iced tea on the porch with a friend, family member or a good book. After the busy holiday and birthday celebrations of July, I enjoy this change of pace; then in September I feel refreshed and ready to begin the school year