Similar things can be said in education.
How does a teacher cope with the stress of being responsible for little people while working within a system they may or may not agree with?
It’s difficult and draining.
I know; I did it for years.
For me, the most difficult thing in this environment was recognizing a child with additional needs, regardless of the form or label that may be attached to this.
Children are very easy to understand.
Most of their communication is non-verbal.
This takes time to watch and process, which is very difficult with an entire group of children having individual needs.
For some reason, the children with additional needs, or outliers, those not within the spectrum of what may be considered normal or average, are the children I worked very closely with.
They melt my heart.
Generally speaking, in Asia, all children are main-streamed.
There is minimal or no access to special needs environments.
I’ve spent many years in countries with no or minimal common verbal language to communicate, so my default communication is ALWAYS body language.
I trust this implicitly.
Much can be understood by observation, which is exactly how children learn and communicate if we take the time to watch them with no expectations.
The challenge is that there is no time for investing in close observation and subtlety in a general classroom setting.
The expectation is to sit down, listen, memorise and recall.
If this isn’t happening, all hell breaks loose, voices raise, and the children are to blame for being uncontrollable.
Many parents are requested to get their children controllable by being medicated as young as 3 years old.
While I’ve come across this many, many times in the West, I have yet to meet a medicated child in Asia.
I have yet to meet a child diagnosed with ADHD or ADD in Asia.
Again, I ask the same question.
Who cares for the people who care?
Who does social work for social workers?
These days more and more social workers,teachers & healthcare people are going to alternative practitioners for support.
Has cognitive dissonance started creeping in?
Inner conflict with a love/dislike relationship for what you do?
How do we prevent burnout?
And more likely….what do we do when we’re already burned out with no other option than to keep showing up, day after day?
You’re welcome to hear me speak on the burnout topic here.
I’ve seen this play out again and again.
Different environments same outcome.
Navigating very high levels of stress, loss, and often traumatic stress within social services, police, health care, legal system environments, corporate & construction is very common.
Why?
Because we’re HUMAN!
People will often say they feel weak when exhaustion and dread arrives within themselves.
They are some of the strongest people in order to deal with the challenges in these environments.
Definitely not weak.
More like DRAINED.
Even the strongest & most stoic people want support!
The bigger challenge is that people either don’t realise this or admit it to themselves or others, which means they go unsupported or tread water.
Taking Time to care for yourself is not selfish.
It is absolutely vital.
Especially if you’ve never done it before!
Secondary/vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue & empathy fatigue are of valid concern.
Nourishing yourself first is the ethical thing to do if you value Longevity.
