AIBU to ‘blame’ my job for my weight gain?

[fat13]

Please note - ‘blame’ in inverted commas as I know that ultimately I’m the reason I’ve gained weight, but I do think work is a bit of a trigger.

Life is v busy and stressful. On top of this, I am a teacher and I know I get good holidays but tbh it’s still getting me down a fair bit.

Ive gained weight. Largely because im run down and tired and drained at the end of every day and I’m turning to food as a quick pick me up for comfort and for energy and to feel good.

Has anyone ever broken this cycle or am I going to have to think of alternative careers?

*how long

I get you, OP.
I've thought exactly the same.
The weight fell off me during lockdown while teaching remotely; the same number of hours but a different kind of stress. Ditto school holidays; I always lose weight.
Now, following concerns about insulin resistance last year, I made some changes that really helped me lose weight in term time too. I do intermittent fasting, so don't eat until lunchtime. I know you said it's hard to make time, and I'm the same, with so many additional duties and meetings scheduled during my lunch hour, but now I just take my lunch in / around with me and eat on the hoof. I usually have a boiled egg and coleslaw, or cottage cheese with some nuts (not among students obvs) and dried fruits. I make sure I have a really great evening meal, ideally before 6pm. This takes a bit of forward planning, but as my DC are young too, it's a good fit. Then I don't eat again until the next day.
The other important change is that I have drastically reduced the amount of refined carbs I eat. For a stressed out metabolism like mine, this has been such a blessed relief. After a couple of days of cold-turkeying, all cravings for those quick carb fixes seem to melt away and metabolic peace sets in. I used to feel like I was dragging myself along from one exhausted, well-deserved snack to another, peaking and plunging as I went, but now my energy levels are much more level.
I still have no time for dedicated exercise, but it's not as if teaching is particularly sedantry, so I'm not too worried.
Best of luck, OP.

Could you do some exercise at home OP? Things like heavy goblet squats will torch the calories.