Part 1: Stories of Resilience

Teaching is a stressful profession. Self-care is very important to all and you need to be able to release your stress in positive ways. One of the ways I manage the stress of my job is to separate it as much as I can from my home life. I go to school early and work while it is quiet and I leave at dismissal. I partake in yoga and workout when I can. I also get out during summer and go traveling!

I watched the first 2 videos.  The first one on compassion fatigue and the 2nd one on self care.  Both were wonderful as the first one really delved into the topic of why compassion fatigue is affecting teachers.  She went on to talk about the trauma that the students are dealing with that impact the teachers as well.  She went on to question why compassion fatigue is not taught in colleges as a majority of those affected are the new, female teachers in their first 5 years of teaching.  Honestly, I see teaching becoming much harder and I feel bad for my daughter who is a first year teacher.  There is so much required in teaching but the students are coming to school with a lot of issues which affects the teacher's teaching and the student's learning. 
The second video on self care really spoke to me as that is what prompted my yoga journey a year ago in February.  It was great listening to another teacher and the path that led her to yoga and the importance of self care, be it journaling, meditating, drinking water, exercising, breathing or yoga.  All things that I've been slowly incorporating into my life/routine over the last 11 months.  

I actually watched a few videos, but the ones I liked the most were empathy vs sympathy and another one about letting out your inner person. 
Shine bright, I am definitely in this stage right now. Last year I was a total mess, this school year, I'm making sure I am taken care of, doing what I need to get by. I am taking time for myself, which I have not done in a long time.
I love the short clip on empathy vs sympathy. They are so different but always put together. I do have sympathy for people, but I always have empathy! I am always the one people talk to or come to, to get really big, tight hugs from! Sometimes, I give them, but truly need one myself! I am an empath and sometimes, I just need a little something for myself. It gets very draining sometimes, especially with the negative people and feelings. I need something positive to give me a boost!

I watched Brene Brown's video on empathy and the differences between empathy and sympathy. She stated that sympathy drives us apart while empathy connects us. That being said I don't think that sympathy is necessarily a bad thing especially when it is difficult to feel empathy often. It is important when being empathic to feel with people and stay away from judgment. I loved her analogy about empathy being like climbing down into a hole of someone's situation with someone to connect with them. Often instead of listening to difficult problems, people try to fix it with a response instead of connecting to the person.

I thought it was interesting how she started talking about how many teachers quit teaching due to stress and the impact it has. We all know teachers and all the hard work they go through. This is something we need to deal with or else we will not have people wanting to become teachers. I like how she mentions kids' mental health being valued but not staff. I found it powerful how she has such an empowering and supporting message that she lives with everyday - not just when times are tough.

I liked the video on Kelly H. The first thing that she pointed out is that staff wellbeing is so important, and something that should be addressed.  We are not alone in our stress as teaching staff, share with other to build support.  
Saying yes to yourself.  This is a challenge not just as teaching staff but also as a parent.  Putting your needs first can seem selfish but in reality it makes you a better persona and better able to handle life situations. 
Her words "Take Care of Yourself"  stood out, in bold letters to me. Taking time to exercise, mindfulness, and  truly investing in yourself.  Her reasoning "why"  because we are unique and important.   Her final words of protecting your light and letting it shine for others is how we accomplish our tasks. 

I liked this video and how Kelly spoke about the necessity of staff well being. Staff member's well being should be as much of an importance as the mental health of the children that we teach and guide.  Without it, we loose the sparkle, drive, and determination to pass along to the students.  We have a choice to survive and we need to guard, shield, fuel, and defend ourselves so that we can be the light in someone else's life.  Some ways Kelly mentioned on how to achieve this are to collectively work together, take care of ourselves, and change the perspective of work/life balance.  Self care can include journaling, drinking enough water, exercising, having mindfulness, doing random acts of kindness, asking for support, and connecting to who you truly are.  

A very important element of self-care and survival for teachers is talking with other teachers (or former teachers) and being honest about feelings of frustration , failure etc. Knowing you are not alone is helpful.
 Also, seeking ways to relieve stress and take care of yourself. Do things to accomplish more than just survive your days but take breaks from the stress of the job. Take time to do whatever makes you relaxed and happy (differs for every person). Try reading, exercising, yoga, taking a walk, crafting, or whatever makes you happy and removes you from thinking about the stresses of your job. 

  This gives you an idea of how mental health also impacts teachers/staff as well as students. Gives you an honest look of how teachers can easily feed into the concept of Compassion Fatigue. Teachers can be part of the statistic that leaves the profession and give up. Life becomes overwhelming and teachers need to say "yes" to themselves. Promote self care so you don't lose your drive and determination. Balance work life and support each other in the teaching/school profession. Can increase connections or reach out to other colleagues. Kelly Hopkins suggests many things to help with self care. Practice random acts of kindness and value yourself. She is empowering and reminds us that our light is the most important thing worth guarding. Without self-care we cannot help others or shine our light upon them.

It’s okay to feel what you feel. There are others out there that are going through the same thing as you. Life can become too overwhelming. You need to make sure you do self care. It’s okay to take time for yourself. Sometimes this is needed to help you regain yourself and see clearly. This can be lifesaving. As the teacher said if we take care of ourselves and listen to each other we can become stronger as a whole together. This will make you happier and feel more connected with everything/everyone around you. This saved her from disconnecting herself from her loved ones and the things that she enjoys. Practice random acts of kindness and also ask for support.You can be the light in someone else's life. 

While this video was short, it had an extremely strong message.  Sangu spoke of the stigmatization of mental health issues in Africa, but I think it is the same in many communities in the U.S. as well.  When I was growing up, no one ever talked about a person's mental health.  If you did hear it mentioned, you thought of crazy people who were institutionalized.  I have a daughter with diagnosed anxiety.  From going to her therapy sessions, talking with her, and doing research, I am positive I have anxiety too.  When I was growing up I was told "you are overly dramatic.  It's not as bad as you are making it.  Get over it".  That is NOT the type of message I want to convey to my students.  I openly talk about my mental health, my daughter's anxiety, my sister's drug addiction.  I want my students to know that they are not alone.  Sangue states,  "We need to see mental health as important as physical health"...I couldn't agree more.