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At the end of a day with my group of five-year-olds, I'm exhausted. I have observed, evaluated, cleaned, mediated and listened to children, parents and other staff. Research suggests that I exhibit twelve characteristics daily, these being passion, perseverance, willingness to take risks, pragmatism, patience, flexibility, respect, creativity, authenticity, love of learning, high energy and sense of humour (Colker, 2008). However, one characteristic that wasn't mentioned was stress, and for many educators stress is part of the job.
I have investigated a number of suggestions for ways to deal with stress in early childhood work settings. Here are my top suggestions.
Laughter
Laughter is very contagious. So many times during the day my group of five-year-olds will say or do something that makes me giggle. I began recording these situations, as they are not only great for the parents to have, but also made me laugh whenever I read them again. It is believed that laughter can help you control pain and stress, lower blood pressure, fight diseases, and is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm (Bartkus, 2001).
Positive venting
It can sometimes be hard to vent to a colleague without gossip starting. Instead of venting to a colleague, I began writing down my frustrations and once finished, I would throw out the paper. I felt a bit silly at first, but slowly I stopped taking my frustrations to other staff members, which meant I wasn't involved in gossiping.
Time Management
I have struggled with this suggestion for years and probably still will for a little longer. I really focused on managing my time and found I wasn't taking work home by the end of the week. I had a free weekend, a first in years. You can have this too. Write down what you need to achieve for the day beginning with the most urgent task. Once completed, go back to the list and cross it off before starting the next one. I was amazed at how quickly I achieved almost everything on my list. I'm sure if I continue to do this everyday, I'll be on top of everything in no time.
Transition from work to home
Once it's time to go home, leave. I know this is extremely hard to do, as you want to set up your environment for the next day, or there is still more paperwork to complete. At these times remind yourself that work will still be there tomorrow. Using the time management technique will decrease the end of day workload and allow you to go home on time, if not close to it.
Although these are only a few suggestions, it's amazing how these steps have reduced my stress levels. Why not give them a try, what do you have to lose?
Sarah Donald
Early Childhood Practitioner
Little Alberts Childcare Centre, Boronia, Vic.
Student – Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic
Every Child magazine – vol. 15 no. 1, 2009, p. 10
Don't forget, Every Child is tax deductible for early childhood professionals
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