I am working up to running a half marathon at the end of next month and one of the things that is keeping me going as I slowly (and painfully) clock up the training miles is the 1977 classic Meat Loaf album, Bat Out of Hell.

You might not think overblown rock-opera lyrics from over 40 years ago have much to say to today’s teachers, but that’s where you’d be wrong...

Like a bat outta hell, I’ll be gone when the morning comes

Much like the eponymous bat, getting out of the building should be a top priority for teachers, especially this early in the term. Set limits on how long you are going to stay at work and stick to them, then get out of there. Fly home to your partner or your kids, to your flatmate, your dog, your gym class or Netflix box set. Rush home to whatever makes you happy, to the parts of your life that are not to do with school. Making time for and enjoying your down time is just as important as working hard, because this is the stuff you work hard for.

Wellbeing: How to be a happy teacher

Quick read: What makes the perfect teacher school bag?

Leadership: Headteachers must give ‘creative control’ to teachers and pupils

The secret to teaching? Accept that there will be chaos

It was long ago, it was far away and it was so much better than it is today

Was it really though? We all love to put on the rose-tinted glasses and have a staffroom moan-fest about how rubbish being a teacher is today compared to 10, 20 or 30 years ago. But do you really believe that there weren’t challenges then, just as now? Different challenges maybe, but challenges all the same. Every generation of teachers think they have it the hardest, but maybe that’s simply because the job is hard. Don’t let nostalgia kid you that teaching hasn’t always been difficult and all consuming, frustrating and exhilarating. We don’t do it because it’s easy money; we do it because it matters.

Two out of three ain’t bad

One of our favourite ways to give ourselves a hard time as educators is berating ourselves for not getting to the end of our to-do lists. Never mind the fact the to-do list stretches from here to Norway - in our minds, it should still be done before we deserve to relax and take a break.

So, take a leaf out of old Meat Loaf’s book and, instead of focusing on what you’ve still got to do, take a look at what you have achieved so far. Remember that working in a school means wading neck-deep in relationships, all day, every day.

The messy, chaotic process of learning laps all around you as you doggy-paddle your way through it all, making connections, building rafts to reach people, throwing out a life belt every now and again to someone in need. You do all of this in the name of making things just a little bit better for the children in your care.

That is vitally important and entirely exhausting work, our core business, but you won’t find it on any teacher’s to-do list. So give yourself credit for all that you are doing and stop freaking out because you haven’t changed your display or finished your laminating. Tell the small stuff it can wait - two out of three ain’t bad at all.

Susan Ward is depute headteacher at Kingsland Primary School in Peebles, in the Scottish Borders. She tweets @susanward30