Over the last couple of years I have come to realize that teaching virtually in another time zone gives symptoms similar to jet lag.
The severity of the virtual lag depends on how big of a time change there is and also on the length of the course.
This week I am finding that virtual lag can be as much or more exhausting that jet lag.
When traveling to teach I get the opportunity to adapt to the new time zone.
When teaching virtually my day is out of sync with my local time and it is difficult to adjust my sleep times. When I travel after an adjustment period I am then back to a normal schedule where my meals and work times match up with my sleep times.
This week the time zone difference is five hours. It is fortunate that my students are starting their day a bit later to give me a bit more sleep time in the morning. Instead of starting at about 3:30 I am starting at 5:30. However, it is still difficult to get to sleep early even after most of the week is over.
I have been so tired at the end of class each day that I have to take a nap. However, today was a bit different as I went to get my booster shot after class and by the time I made it back home I was past the nap zone.
It is interesting as I look at the picture above. I am actually wearing the same sweat shirt right now as when I was napping at my grandparent’s house near Hamburg, Iowa a long time ago. It has been cold here and I have been wearing different sweaters or sweat shirts each day.
Trying to teach difficult hands-on procedures virtually and respond to questions is also very draining. I now realize how much I use my hands when trying to explain difficult procedures.
I believe it is much better to travel and have jet lag for a couple days than to be time lagged all week during a class because of an out of sync sleep schedule
Steven
Fortunately the course today was just wrapping up the week, answering final questions and having the students take the certification test.
After the meetings I was tired again, so more resting was done.
I have been moving slowly all day. I just took a walk to get my bare minimum distance for the day, and even it was taken slowly as I made my way around the block.
Braman's Wanderings 