It may sound selfish to put yourself first but it is not. To be able to support others to the fullest you must first ensure that you are taken care of. There are many forms of self-care like exercising or guided imagery which can give you the much-needed break and positively impact your wellbeing. So give yourself permission to relax and let the weight of the world lift off your shoulders.
Gratitude can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and make us more resilient. It also fosters our relationships, even difficult ones. It floods your heart with warmth, changes the way you think, and allows you to let go of tensions. Focusing on gratitude will shift your perspective on life, and with practice, becomes a gratitude mindset.
“Humans first, work second,” is often how I move into check-ins. In work meetings I facilitate, I ask the question: “How are you feeling?” at the start of the meeting. A common response is: "I don’t know how I’m feeling. Can I see the wheel?” because they know I’m expecting more of an answer than “well,” “fine,” or “good.” This is where the feelings wheel comes into play.
We seem to be in this phase of in-between time – the lingering phase that follows the immediate emergency of COVID-19, but precedes a return to normalcy, however “normal” is defined. It is starting to sink in that the changes we are currently living under, changes that are having a large impact on our social, economic, family, and professional lives, may extend many months into the future.
Vocational Education and Training is designed to prepare youth for initial entry into employment. Vocational education utilizes hands-on learning while offering opportunity and exposure to a variety of skill-based activities within a career-focused environment. The goal of vocational education is to focus on enhancing independent life skills and increasing vocational skills of youth, with the end result of reducing recidivism through increasing protective factors.