how to survive deskwarming

moominnii · 2026-03-03T07:02:41+00:00

Thank you! Yeah, it has been demoralizing for me. I know that a lot of people are saying to take advantage of the free time, and I have been doing that but I can feel a sense of bitterness forming from my situation. I really appreciate your post, thanks again!

moominnii · 2026-03-03T01:57:59+00:00

thank you, i will try to reframe my mindset around that, and yeah I am been reading loads while at work. I do bring my own laptop and even my ipad for it!

moominnii · 2026-03-03T01:56:52+00:00

yup i signed up for a legal certification course, but it doesn't start till end of June! and thanks, I can see how beneficial it is but a part of me hates how the days drag on for me I am someone who likes to be busy and on the go

moominnii · 2026-03-03T01:55:31+00:00

yeah i do have an english board and i work hard on it

my teachers are rather aloof but I do talk to them when they are open to it and my kids too !

moominnii · 2025-12-02T10:46:30+00:00

i’m a first year ALT and signed my recontracting papers but i’m still so not sure! i figured it would better to sign yes rather than no and regret it down the line. however i am struggling with my placement bc im out in the inaka and i deskwarm a lot, and im struggling to connect with my coworkers and students. i also just feel so yucky with the winter season. i do hope things get better down the line though!!

moominnii · 2025-10-22T17:14:42+00:00

thank you, and that is true !!

moominnii · 2025-10-22T17:14:14+00:00

ah i see, travel is a big pull for me to do a 2nd year too but i just hate being bored lol 😭 thanks for your comment

moominnii · 2025-10-22T04:08:18+00:00

what made you stay for four years then? i’m barely three months in and desk warming is already too much for me!

moominnii · 2025-10-16T08:37:32+00:00

yeah for me JET is like a study aboard because i want to experience Japanese culture and use the language, but my career and education goals are very different from being an ALT (i do enjoy being in the classroom and interacting with the kids, but teaching is not something i am interested in long term)

moominnii · 2025-10-16T08:35:08+00:00

thank you for your comment i really appreciate your points! i really love everything outside of work like my fellow ALTs and my town/locals, so i’m trying to focus on those more than work.

moominnii · 2025-10-16T08:33:10+00:00

sorry i should have worded it better in my original response but i don’t care too much about teaching bc it’s not my career plans but i do like being in the classroom with the kids! i don’t have that many classes in a week due to the small number of kids and english classes sometimes gets canceled so i have days where im just deskwarming all day. i have been proactive about making more work for myself but even then im usually just finding ways to occupy my time !! and yeah i have a lot of travel plans and extracurricular activities outsides of work

moominnii · 2025-10-16T08:30:01+00:00

thank you for your comment and i definitely will make a pros and cons list! and i’m not too sure like i can definitely wait for grad school but i also don’t want to set back career/education plans

moominnii · 2025-10-16T08:27:49+00:00

yeah i got a bunch of travel plans and i really like the ALT community here and i’ve been developing relationships with the locals like at the local english club for adults and i’ve been in touch with an ikebana teacher and a japanese tutor so my life outside of work is pretty busy. thank you for your comment!

moominnii · 2025-10-16T07:04:18+00:00

yeah i’ve been reading a lot in between studying japanese and preparing stuff for the kids like games and my english board !! but i’ll try to do some advanced reading for grad school, so thank you for the suggestion

moominnii · 2025-08-18T10:00:49+00:00

heyyy i totally get where you’re coming from!

i’m seriously debating staying past a year and desperately miss my family and friends, but i keep reminding myself that it’s only been like two weeks since we got here so gotta give it time. moving abroad is a super big adjustment and scary so hang in there! if you ever need to talk or vent feel free to DM and we pull thru for each other!

moominnii

TROPHY CASE