Fatigue. You’re tired. It’s the end of the seminary year. Whether you teach early morning seminary or full-time seminary, here are five points to help you remain fresh for your students — even to the final day of class!


1. Talk with Others.

Be willing to share how you’re feeling with the other seminary teachers in your district. Ask things like, “So what are you doing to stay fresh in the classroom?”

As a missionary so many years ago, I had begun to feel overwhelmed with the Brazilian language, customs, and people. My blood sugar levels were wacky from the unusual foods. And I was struggling to keep my spiritual footing amidst it all. During this time I had made a faulty assumption: Only the weak ask for help.

Imagine my surprise in an interview with my district leader — he silently had perceived my difficulties! He asked, “Are you doing ok?”

“Yes,” I said with the bravest of grins.

But he asked again, this time with a very direct look. I could no longer deny the flood of feelings that had threatened to engulf me for some time. I began to cry. This wise priesthood leader said, “Sister, only the strong are willing to ask for help.” This good leader proceeded to provide the instruction I needed to hear while grappling with living in another country.

As a seminary teacher, you may not be battling such deep emotions, but if you are feeling a bit like your well of creativity has dried up or like your fatigue is a bit too much, be willing to talk with the seminary teachers around you (or even your CES supervisor) for ideas. Several heads are better than one in coming up with moments to involve your students in the scriptures and to enthuse them to live the gospel — all the way up to the last day of seminary!

It is in the Lord’s commission we serve, after all is said and done, and it behooves us to be open to sources of inspiration and encouragement. So as we remember, “Only the strong are willing to ask for help,” we will be open to join hands with those around us to create a powerful force for good in the lives of the Lord’s seminary students. And by sharing your need for fresh ideas, you have no idea just how much those around you might need your ideas!

2. Stay Hydrated.

A surprising statement, but a potent one. Did you know that if you’re feeling tired, it might be due to dehydration? While it is true there are many conditions that can trigger fatigue, scientists have learned that dehydration is a secret culprit. And the alarming truth is that when you first feel thirsty, it’s too late. You’ve been dehydrated longer than you might have suspected.

One of the reasons ample hydration is so essential to the human body is that our body is made up mainly of water, especially our organs (for example, researchers peg the brain at nearly 75% water). Thus, when we are under-hydrated, our body simply cannot function as the Lord intends. And that poor functioning manifests itself in a variety of ways, including possible fatigue.

So while you are valiantly preparing to cross the finish line of yet another year of teaching seminary, make sure you stay hydrated. A simple trick some sports therapists now recommend is to divide your body weight in half and drink that amount in ounces.

 

Of course, any time you make a physical change in your life, you need to consult a doctor. But to figure the math, do it like this: if I were a 140-pound woman, ideally I would be drinking approximately seventy ounces of water (of course, I would increase fluid intake on more active days). Seventy ounces of water a day is nothing more than about eight to nine 8-ounce water glasses daily. That works out to about one an hour during daylight hours — a small activity which reaps large benefits in both health and energy!

Know that if you are dehydrated, the “runoff” initially will have you literally running to the bathroom. But once your cells become comfortably saturated in appropriate levels of fluids, the bathroom trips will decrease. And don't OVER drink water either — that can cause equally serious problems. Again, consult your doctor before making any big changes to the physical side of your life. But by making sure your body has the fluid it needs to function smoothly, you will help yourself as you cross the finish line of the final day of seminary, teaching in fine health and vigor.

3. Get Sufficient Sleep.

Sleep. What a delightful premium for a seminary teacher, who rises before the roosters do!

It goes without saying that we each need sleep. Did you know that researchers have discovered that every hour you sleep before midnight works double towards your sleep requirements? No wonder the Lord counsels us in D&C 88:124 to retire early so we are not weary. The attending promise is that our bodies and minds will be invigorated. Wow. How important that promise is for a seminary teacher!

4. Turn It Over to the Lord.

I have heard more than a few seminary teachers privately share as to their fatigue at the end of the year. I know personally as a seminary teacher, I have reached some points where I felt I could not do it anymore due to my chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. At times these conditions flare up and during these points I literally kneel and pray, turning my entire responsibility over to the Lord. I then focus on putting one foot in front of the other and make sure I simply show up to teach. It may not sound valiant, but sometimes, just showing up can be eighty percent of the service.

For you see, some day these youth will grow up. They will look back on their seminary teachers and be able to say, "I know now, because she/he knew then." Our testimonies and the spirit we carry will permanently impress themselves upon these students. We do not need to be fantastic entertainers; we do not even need to be magnanimous spiritual wonders. But we do need to consistently show up for our class to testify of the truths we know. Because, as you know, the Holy Ghost is the Great Testator. If we are not present, whether spiritually or physically, there is no foundation for the spirit to testify on.

It is normal to experience a bit of fatigue by the end of our seminary stint. So if we struggle a bit in the final moments of the seminary year with burnout or fatigue, it is important to know we have not been left alone. Far from it. In Mormon 9:27 we read, "...ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing."

What a blessing to have this promise — especially as seminary teachers, who need inspiration and guidance — not just for our own families, but for the lives of so many precious youth. The gospel works. What a blessing to share this with them! And at the end of the seminary year, if perhaps we’re feeling just a wee bit fatigued, the Lord will help our feet keep moving so that we “show up” for our class — both physically and emotionally. All we need to do is ask.

5 . Be Balanced in Efforts and Expectations.

After all is said and done, the Lord does not ask us nor want us to overdo. He wants us to balance our efforts with our desires, even as we prepare for the final days of seminary. We can read this in D&C 10:4, which says, “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means… but be diligent to the end.”

I had received a blessing at the beginning of this seminary year that floored me. I was counseled that even the things that matter most, need to be approached in balanced ways. Perhaps I was given this counsel because the Lord knows I tend to run faster than is needful. But this counsel did surprise me. And it has helped me to remember that I am a wife and mother first, then a seminary teacher!

You may not have a problem with balance. But it is worthwhile to remember the Lord knows what we are capable of and that it is not requisite to run faster than needful — even for seminary teachers at this time of year as we seek to finish in fine form.

Summary

We have covered a few short ideas in a brief period of time. The seminary day will come early enough tomorrow. The rigors of teaching seminary could surprise the most seasoned of educators in any other field. Again, not only is there the day-in, day-out rising before even the roosters, there is the additional responsibility of knowing you are teaching for the Lord himself.

Yet as we remember to talk with others, to stay hydrated, and to get sufficient sleep, we will be strengthened in our inspirational duties as seminary teachers. We are participating in "the divine plan of saving men's souls," to quote President Hunter’s words ("Prepare Every Needful Thing," Ensign, June 1971, 51). By turning ourselves over to the Lordinprayer and by remembering balance, we should be able to finish out the seminary year in a manner that would bring joy even to the Lord himself. May he bless you with his greatest of aids and blessings as you do so. And then fatigue won’t even be an issue!

Check back next Wednesday for fun scripture mastery ideas and classroom activity ideas!