How can I improve my mental health at work?

Good evening! First, I'm so very sorry to hear that you are struggling at work. Working with children is difficult when we are feeling our best. It can seem insurmountable when we aren't. 

Thank you for asking about self-care at work. Many people don't appreciate that work is a place where we can take care of ourselves too! A few ideas to try:

1) The first thing I always suggest when we are having difficulty coping is to go back to our basics. According to Maslow, there are basic needs that must be met for survival. If we are missing one of these, it can be hard [at times seem nearly impossible] to fulfill our daily living tasks. These basic needs are food, water, bathroom, safety, sleep. Additionally, connection/affection can be part of this.

So when you start not feeling well, first reflect on if your basic needs have been met. Did you get enough sleep? Have you eaten? Even if you have a limited appetite something as simple as a protein bar can be useful to keep up your body's energy. 

If we don't take care of our body's basic needs first, our bodies can't function properly which will increase whatever distress we are in. For example: If I don't sleep well, I go to work tired. If I don't eat then my body doesn't have the fuel to keep me going during the day which will make me more tired and less motivated. You can see how this could turn into a tornado of our bodies feeding our mental distress and visa versa. 

2) Take natural breaks during the day that are 'non-productive'. By that I mean, they are not filled with busy tasks, etc. This is time where you focus as much as possible on opening your window of tolerance. It can seem impossible to find breaks in a day but I challenge you to think in terms of small bits of time where maybe the kids are occupied. This could be nap time, for example. If you have a partner teacher in the room, it may be helpful to tag out where possible. Personally I am a fan of the 'going to the bathroom' option. Take a break and go to the bathroom and use the time. We expect that our time in the bathroom is going to be 'unproductive' so this can be a natural space for us to reflect and use coping skills. 

3) Once you have identified these natural 'breaks' in your day you can begin to integrate self-care into them. This could be box breathing [deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth for a count of 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold. Rinse and repeat], reflecting on the positive/neutral things that have happened that day, thinking about something you are looking forward to, or even just reaching out to a friend for a little support. These small things can open our window of tolerance throughout the day and give us more space to cope with the frustrations of our work. 

I tend to use my time to close my eyes and rest or read a non-work related book or article. 

4) If you find yourself easily overwhelmed by working with these small children, it can be helpful to take your focus from the large scale to the small. For example, instead of thinking about the whole day, focus on singular tasks. After we color this picture, we will be doing nap time, etc. 

If you are addressing difficult behaviors in your class, it can be helpful to consider each child one at a time vs all the players at the same time. 

5) Lastly, make sure you use your resources. If you have access to an Employee Assistance Program [EAP] or some other resource, consider looking into it as a means of finding support. Also utilize the time you have earned for vacation and sick leave. You have EARNED this time. Work places can seem unsupportive about their staff using these days but in the end, you worked to earn them and you deserve to use them. 

I would be remiss if I neglected to advocate for seeking professional help. There are licensed professionals who can help you find coping skills and give you a safe place to processes through your struggles. If you don't already have a therapist, please consider reaching out to one. 

I hope that these answers are helpful to you. It's not uncommon that our mental state impacts our ability to do our jobs which can in turn impact our mental state. You will have to be proactive to address things as they come so that you can decrease the impact. In the end, be gentle with yourself. You can only do your best and sometimes our best is 50% ; sometimes it's 30%. We can only give what we can give. 

I wish you well and hope things improve for you! -B