I just finished presenting a workshop on self-care in honour of “National Self-Care Awareness Month” to a wonderful group of very hardworking ladies.
These ladies all work from their homes, providing childcare to children as young as 4 months old to 4 years old. They work for the same licensed home childcare agency as I do. I am the person responsible for placing those children into their homes.
I’ve spoken in front of countless groups of people over the past 5 years sharing my story, and promoting my children’s book and advocacy work, but for some reason, this time felt a lot different. I guess it’s because over the course of the past “almost” 2 years now since I started working here (again!! I also worked here some 15 years ago), I’ve enjoyed getting to know these lovely ladies, mostly by friendly chit chats over the phone, and a couple of times in person during provider appreciation dinners, but aside from a few exceptions, and the ladies in my office, I have never shared my personal mental health journey with any of them.
Today, I gave them a sneak peek into that other world of mine (I’m pretty sure I shocked quite a few of them), before delving into a discussion on the importance of self-care, some tips on how to make self-care a priority in their life, and ways to manage stress and burnout in both their personal lives and their exceptionally rewarding careers.
I reminded them that self-care is NOT selfish and that we must always put the oxygen mask on ourselves first, like we are taught to do on an airplane; and with good reason.
Taking care of very young children, whether as a parent or as a caregiver is in fact incredibly rewarding, but it can also come with many challenges that can sometimes take a toll on your mind, body and spirit.
I suggested that before the start of their work day, they try to “carve” out some very deserving and intentional “Me” time, even if it’s only 5 to 10 minutes of quiet time, sipping on their morning cup of coffee.
I taught them about some of the grounding techniques I use, even while sitting at my desk at work, that are helpful when I feel overwhelmed or stressed and can be easily executed without anyone even knowing. We practiced one together as a group.
I reminded them that when there is some quiet time in their day, maybe while the kids are occupied with an activity or during nap time, to use this time to reenergize, stay hydrated, grab a healthy snack and rest their mind.
I then shared with them some breathing exercises, which can also be very helpful in staying present and mindful throughout their busy day.
Kids aren’t the only ones who sometimes need a timeout or a moment to refresh, and it’s never too young to teach kids about being mindful. I gave them a few ideas to try as an activity with their kids in care or anyone reading this who have young children to go ahead and try them at home too.
This included ideas like blowing bubbles, placing a feather in the palm of your hand, or lying down on your back with a soft toy or stuffed animal on your belly. All of which are great ways to be “playful” with kids and practice deep breaths all at the same time.
I shared with the providers all the ways in which I include self-care in my life and encouraged them to find ways to schedule it into their free time as well.
Before finishing off our workshop, we had storytime where I read to them from my children’s book “Where Did Mommy’s Smile Go?”. It brings me joy sharing my labour of love with others.
Today brought purpose and healing to my journey. I actually feel a weight lifted off me by bringing this group of beautiful souls into my “other” world and the best part is, I get to do it all over again next Saturday morning with another group of lovely ladies I work closely with from another branch of our agency. Hopefully, next time, I won’t feel so nervous because my heart knows they will be just as accepting and grateful for me as these ladies were today.
#workshop #selfcare #nationalselfcareawarenessmonth #deepbreaths #oxygenmask #takingcareofchildren #rewardingcareer #wheredidmommyssmilego #author #blogger #mindful #timeouts #refresh #providers #mentalhealth #wellbeing #youareenough
YouAreEnough 