Vanquish “Farch” with Verve!

March 18, 2026

We’re so close to the end of February and March (affectionately known as “Farch”)! When you’re almost there, and yet you feel so far from the end of the year, it might be time for a check-in.

Burnout is a term that is often used in education, with solutions like better (or more) self-care, finding a new job, or earning more money.

While these are not inherently bad ideas, they don’t really get to the heart of the issue: the ways we think, behave, and spend our time.

Laurie Santos has some great guidance on this, specifically when it comes to the idea of time affluence. She shares that “Time affluence is the subjective sense that you have some free time. Not the objective amount of free time you have, but the sense that you have time to do what you need to do.”

Dr. Santos also notes that being in a

A survey of public school teachers by the RAND Corporation

Vanquishing a time famine (in the month of “Farch” or anytime) is all about small steps:

  1. Identify the emotion(s) you are feeling. How are you? (Really. Not the walking-down-the-hall-to-the-printer answer of “Fine!”, but really.) Pause and take a moment to give a name to the emotions you are feeling today, and remember that all of them are okay to be feeling. You don’t need to push any of them away– just acknowledge them.
  2. Find time to be honest with yourself. Are you feeling exhausted every day? Losing the ability to care about your colleagues? Waking up and having no energy, even though you had a great night of sleep? You always have the option to take a deep breath and pause. While this won’t fix everything, it might help you find your way out of a time famine.
  3. Make a plan. What is one thing you can do for yourself each day? Maybe it is savoring the first few sips of your coffee when you get to your desk before students charge forth. Or noticing how it feels to relax into a hug from someone you love. Whatever it is: make time to savor a good moment each day. This can be a short moment that gives you more than you Whatever you choose, be sure to protect that time. You spend your days making sure that everyone else has their needs met, and you deserve to have your needs taken care of, too. Set a boundary that allows you to be sure of having the time you need for yourself.

If your school is supported by a specialist from The Character Effect, you could make a plan to vanquish “Farch” with us. In a quick, 30 minute, one-to-one meeting, your specialist will bring their expertise on change management and ask some powerful questions to help you shape your next steps. Whether your goal is to feel more at peace in general or to reach specific benchmarks, we are here to support you.

If you don’t have access to a specialist, check out what Dr. Santos has to say about how our brains can trick us into thinking something will make us feel better…when it really won’t (and what we can do about it).

You’ve got this! “Farch” is almost over, spring break is in sight, and the end of the year is all downhill from there.

Be kind to yourself today, and know that we are cheering you on!