Emerging from lockdown: Taking care of yourself
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 123 No 4, 5 June 2020, page no. 25
Now most of us have returned to our workplaces, where do we turn for guidance on how to navigate this new terrain and take care of ourselves in the process? The best place to turn is inward.
Stop and reflect
Greek philosopher Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
This means that the upheaval of a pandemic is not worth living through if we miss this massive opportunity to stop and reflect on how we’ve been living and whether this is in alignment with our values.
If you haven’t done so already, carve out time to process “what just happened”. A pen, a journal and some questions are all you need.
- What have I learnt about myself and others?
- What did lockdown teach me about what matters most in life?
- What do I want to leave behind?
- What do I want to take forward?
- What is possible now that I could not have imagined before?
Explore the opportunities to go through this process together with your colleagues, as well as your students.
Caring for self
The insights you capture and the values you re-establish through this reflective process can guide your choices.
If, during lockdown, you really enjoyed less rushing around in the morning getting ready for work, what does that mean for your morning routine now? If you valued connecting with your own children more or re-connecting with other important people in your life, what does that mean for how you now prioritise relationships in your life? If, as an introvert, you relished the reduced social load, what choices can you make to take care of your energy levels?
Start with one realistic act of wellbeing or self-care that is either most do-able, or the most important to you. Taking one step at a time and building on that over time reduces the risk of feeling overwhelmed. That’s especially important right now, with many teachers feeling very tired after having gone above and beyond to adapt to teaching online.
Caring for others
One thing you probably realised when working from home was how much positive face-to-face contact with the important people in your life nourishes us. We therefore have a responsibility to nurture these relationships back.
Staying alert to the signs of mental health problems in your students, colleagues, family and friends is one thing you can do. Mental health experts warn of the mental health consequences of lockdown, with some effects likely to linger beyond the relaxation of social distancing measures.
Make the time to check-in and ask how your fellow teachers are coping. If you observe a distinct change in someone’s normal behaviour that persists for several weeks, have the courage to feedback what you are noticing and, if appropriate, point the person towards help. Don’t try to diagnose, simply express your care.
It is important to respect differences in how people are responding to and coping with the pandemic, given the disparate ways people’s lives have been affected. Some may love being back at work, others may be reluctant or highly anxious, depending on their life circumstances, their health status, as well as their personality.
The more you can avoid judging others and accept their reality - while helping them keep risks in perspective - the more you can create a sense of mutual support.
Leading with care
School leaders play a critical role in supporting their staff. The tenets of good change management still apply, which means that clear, regular communication is critical. Admittedly this isn’t always possible, but leaders can still make sharing timely updates a priority.
Lessons can be learned from what’s known about protecting the wellbeing of first responders. According to the Black Dog Institute, the top three predictors of which health workers will develop post-traumatic stress disorder after being involved in an emergency or crisis situation are: saying they didn’t get adequate information; saying that they weren’t adequately protected, and/or saying they were asked to do things their superiors weren’t asked to do.
We don’t know for sure if this applies to teachers, but it seems wise for leaders to address these risk factors as much as possible.
- Provide regular, detailed updates to staff, even if it is just saying: “I don’t know yet.”
- Ensure staff have clear protocols about what to do if they notice a child with symptoms.
- Ensure teachers have adequate cleaning and protective equipment.
- Give staff a voice, a sense of control, by involving them in making decisions about how to navigate this time.
- Foster a culture of help-seeking and offer different channels of support. Keep asking: “Is there anything else you need? Is there anything else we can do?”
With life as usual having been utterly disrupted, there’s never been a better time to consciously shape our new normal, together.
Thea O’Connor
Wellbeing and productivity advisor (thea.com.au)