Developing a Self-Care Plan
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Why is self-care so important? Because we work in a field that requires emotional labor. The definition of emotional labor is the need to display specific emotional states as part of work or profession. This definition is particularly true in education, where we need to connect emotionally with young children to be effective in our work. Further, we must scaffold those experiences to support young children's cognitive and emotional development. Our essential work with young children requires a personal connection to create a warm, inviting classroom.
What is the connection between emotional labor and self-care for early childhood educators?
Research has shown that where the educator's emotional state goes, so follows the children. Educators and children become intertwined in their emotional health. Early childhood educators that are worn down, frazzled, or lacking in resiliency are less likely to meet the emotional needs of children.
Self-care then becomes a professional responsibility to ensure the emotional health of the classroom.
How do you know if you practice self-care?
Do you have enough time to meet your basic needs? Basic needs include enough sleep, healthy eating, hygiene, exercise, and attending to medical conditions. A lack of self-care can increase feelings of isolation, hopelessness, chronic tiredness, and depression.
Do you make time for activities that increase your well-being? Well-being activities include small pleasures such as a haircut, massage, or eating in a favorite restaurant.
Do you feel energized by your work, family, or obligations? Take care of situations that leave you feeling drained or exhausted.
Do you attend to others' needs before your own? If we consistently place others' needs before our own, it can lead to feelings of self-doubt or compassion fatigue (depersonalization, exhaustion, difficulty sleeping, headaches, poor job satisfaction).
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is time to revisit your self-care goals.
Self-care goals include many activities that help you stay consciously aware of your feelings. Monitoring your self-care includes building self-care activities into your calendar and to-do list every day.
Self- Care activities may include,
Eating well
Journaling
Taking a little time to be alone
Meditation
Developing hobbies different from work
Reducing a stressful workload by choosing to say yes only to essential obligations.
Monitoring sleep patterns
Regular exercise.
Remember, the goal of self-care is to embrace mental and physical needs. Just as an airline urges us to use our oxygen masks first, we must also care for ourselves to be effective in helping those around us.
How will you embrace self-care today?