As a school social worker and counselor over a 15 year period covering the needs of three diverse inner city schools, I witnessed a lot of resiliency and strengths, as well as a lot of burnout among school staff and among parents, and I was struggling with burnout and compassion fatigue myself. It was then that I realized that I needed something to help sustain me in my professional and personal life. I had already…
Lest you feel alone or isolated, know that you are not alone in this caregiver role as fellow human beings, animals, and plants around the world, some in your own family or neighborhood or town and many in other families, neighborhoods and towns around the planet are also in this caregiving role in this moment. Close your eyes and begin to allow this conscious awareness of all of the other humans, animals, and plants around…
Make a “feeling wheel” by dividing a paper plate into sections like a pizza using a marker. Poke a hole in the middle and turn it into a “feeling clock” making the hands of the clock out of a metal fastener or pipe-cleaner. For younger kids just use: mad, sad, happy, scared. For older kids have them add some feelings they come up with. Can be open-ended (What have you been feeling?) or about a…
