When working with difficult students, it is very important for the adults to also be taking care of themselves. Educators are under more pressure with additional responsibilities and managing more and more children with behavioral concerns. Self-care is often pushed to the side in order to survive. In spite of all the demands on an educator’s time, it’s essential to take care of your personal needs, have time alone, maintain social supports and relationships, continue engaging in interests and activities, and utilize healthy stress management strategies.

In this section, we will review the definition of self-care, what obstructs good self-care, and what changes can be made to ensure self-care isn’t neglected. Our own attachment style, emotional health and regulation not only directly impacts but influences our ability to work with and help others in their healing journey. As the students bond with us, they often will take on portions of our mental health and ability to emotionally regulate. Therefore, it is very important for educators to model healthy behavior for students and to find happiness in their jobs and personal lives--if we want our students to get better, we have to be better.

WHAT IMPEDES SELF-CARE?

“Self-care isn’t always lush bath bombs and $20 face masks. Sometimes, it’s going to bed at 8 p.m. or letting go of a bad friend. It’s forgiving yourself for not meeting your impossible standards and understanding you are worth it. Self-care isn’t always luxury, but a means for survival.” @sarcasm_only

From Healing Discipline: Hope for Shattered Lives

MOVIE CLIP CREDIT: Friends