The Trauma-Responsive Educator and Caregiver Self-Care Toolbox
Why focus on educator and caregiver self-care?
Self-regulation in children does not happen in isolation. The work that we do for ourselves as adults to help us cope with challenging situations will help children as we model and teach them how to cope with stressors, and engage in co-regulation.
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What are my triggers?
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Educators and caregivers are often triggered by children’s behaviour. This is NORMAL. You may notice that you’re triggered when your throat, jaw, or shoulders feel tight. Maybe your face feels flushed, or your stomach hurts.
How does your body feel when you are triggered?
Take a moment to write down or talk about your own triggers. What specific behaviours upset you? How does your body signal that you’re upset?
What am I already doing?
What are you already doing to help yourself stay calm when you feel triggered? Write down or talk about a few strategies that are working well for you. What are you proud of?
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Regular mindfulness practice can help to achieve better focus, mood, and can reduce stress. We can model the use of mindful breathing with our kids as a way with coping with stress.
Meditation Oasis has a podcast and FREE episodes of meditations posted online.
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Mindful Moment for Educators
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We have all heard that we can’t pour from an empty cup. When we care for ourselves as caregivers and educators, we have more to give others, and are able to be more responsive and less reactive to the stressors that we encounter in our lives. Regular self-care can help to prevent compassion fatigue and a variety of health concerns.
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Movement for kids and adults
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Regular physical exercise has been shown to significantly boost mood and focus in both children and adults.
Get outside when possible
“Children cannot bounce off of the walls if we take away the walls.”
-Erin Kenny
There has been a good deal of research on the mental health benefits of being outside in fresh air and sunshine, as well as the benefits of interacting with nature, such as in the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing).
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“Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” -Melody Beatti
A regular gratitude practice has been shown to benefit mood and can help both adults and children to cope with stress.
We notice more of what we choose to focus on. If we train our brains to focus on the positives, we will begin to notice more positives in all areas of our lives. This helps us to develop resilience.
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Quotations are commonly printed as a means of inspiration and to invoke philosophical thoughts from the reader.
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3 Things
What are 3 things that you can try this week for your self-care? Write them down or tell someone.
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When self-care isn’t enough...
Sometimes self-care isn’t enough to cope with the stressors that life throws us. It’s okay to not be okay. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone and ask for help when you need it.
**Please tell someone if you are thinking about suicide. Call the crisis line: 1-844-437-3247 or Call 911 in an emergency.
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Tell Me How It’s Going!
Are you trying some of the ideas in this toolkit? Do you have questions, suggestions, or comments?
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Email: Kimiko.eslfairy@gmail.com
@ESL_fairy
For More Information Please See:
Self-Regulation Resources. The Mehrit Centre. https://self-reg.ca/ Accessed 08 June 2020
Safe Schools NOLA: Teacher Self-Regulation. Tulane University. http://safeschoolsnola.tulane.edu/teacher-self-regulation/ Accessed 09 June 2020
Weir, Kristin. “The Exercise Effect.”The Monitor. American Psychological Association. 2011.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise. Accessed 05 June 2020.
Berman, Marc G. et all. “The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature. Association for Psychological Science. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x. Accessed 08 June 2020.
Carlson LE. Mindfulness-based interventions for physical conditions: A narrative review evaluating levels of evidence. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/651583 Accessed 05 June 2020.
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