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Caring for children is very rewarding but, if not done with care for your own health, can quickly turn into extremely stressful work.
In this excerpt adapted from Stress in early childhood: Helping children and their carers, Patrice Thomas discusses how to develop a dynamic strategy of self-care.
The first step to dealing with stress is to take stock of your life: to identify the major causes of stress and the common symptoms that you experience. Once you know what is causing stress in your life, set goals and put strategies into place to overcome each area of stress. Make a commitment to managing stress and develop a personal and professional philosophy around self-awareness and stress management. Take a holistic approach (focusing on the body, mind and spirit) and ensure that you don't sabotage your efforts by "saying one thing and doing another".
| The importance of attitude |
| Focus on the positive: be thankful for the gifts in your life. Often when we are suffering from stress we only think about what we don't have. It is important to keep a balanced perspective and acknowledge all the good things in our lives such as a place to live, a job, good health, people who care about us, a loving pet or a beautiful garden. |
| Overcoming barriers |
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Make sure you note anything that might inhibit you when trying to implement your stress-reduction strategies.
Goal: Your goal is to get up early and walk to the park before work.
Barrier: A barrier to achieving this might be that the mornings are getting cooler and you don't feel like getting out of bed.
Then think of ways to overcome these barriers:
Solution: Plan to go walking with a friend or neighbour - you will not want to keep them waiting on a street corner while you are deciding whether to get up or not!
A good idea is to find a stress management "buddy". Make an agreement with a friend or colleague to work together on strategies to manage your stress. Monitor your progress regularly (and change your goals if necessary). Make sure you reward yourself when you've achieved a goal.
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Monitoring your progress
Set realistic goals and review your progress in achieving these. Use positive affirmations to help you achieve your aspirations in life. Affirmation (or autosuggestion) is a technique that involves the repetition of carefully chosen words or sentiments. We can achieve our goals and change unproductive habits through the use of these simple statements. The repetition influences the sub-conscious and can become self-fulfilling. For example:
- I am now calm and relaxed.
- I now eat healthy fresh food every day.
- I exercise three times a week to keep my body and mind in good shape.
- I am organised and efficient at work.
Make time for yourself and call on positive and supportive people in difficult times. By including strategies in a daily routine, the ability to manage stress will increase. This will result in higher energy levels and a calmer, more positive response to the challenges faced in all areas of life.
Patrice Thomas
Teacher and lecturer in early childhood and special education
Email: patrice.thomas@bigpond.com
 Patrice Thomas' book, Stress in early childhood: Helping children and their carers, is available from Early Childhood Australia for $39.95 (including postage and handling).
To order, visit www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/pub39 or freecall 1800 356 900.
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