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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
For
parents and caregivers alike, stress, even occupational
burnout, is a very real and stubborn problem. Terms
such as isolation, emotional and physical exhaustion,
lack of appreciation, and depression are synonymous
with being a parent and/or a child care provider.
The
contributing causes of stress and burnout are many.
Through interviews with individuals at all levels
of the early childhood field and research on stress
and burnout, Paula Jorde Bloom, author of Avoiding
Burnout, Strategies for Managing Time, Space and People
in Early Childhood Education, has narrowed the
causes to three main categories. These are: 1) causes
inherent in the profession; 2) causes intrinsic in
the individual's personality and behavior; and 3)
causes fundamental in our society.
Causes
Inherent in the Profession
"Most
who enter the field of early childhood education want
to do worthwhile things for people," says Bloom.
"When asked what they want to accomplish, teachers
say things like, "I want to tap the creative
potential of my students," or "I want to
give the children a good self-image." Burnout
can occur when these laudable goals are frustrated,
when reality doesn't quite square with expectations."
The
many demands of the job, the parents and the children
is a huge responsibility that as Bloom notes, is often
a non-reciprocal balance of living. The teacher or
director gives and the child or parent takes, resulting
in resentment, in a realization that they can never,
despite their exhaustive efforts, satisfy all the
needs of the parents and the children they serve.
Other
factors, like trying to run a program with limited
funds, lack of appreciation or positive job feedback,
low wages and few benefits, as well as a lack of professional
standards, the view of society that "Anyone can
teach," add to the disillusionment and eventual
burnout.
Causes
Intrinsic in the Individual
According
to Bloom, the effectiveness with which an individual
is able to handle the many situations that can lead
to stress, is an often overlooked component of the
burnout picture. She breaks down the causes intrinsic
in the individual's personality and behavior into
4 areas:
- Stress-tolerance
level
- Coping
and adaptation ability
- The
Type A behavior pattern
- The
stress-prone diet.
Stress
is unavoidable. As child care providers and parents
we must deal with an enormous amount of change and
outside demands. "As individuals, we may not
always be able to dictate the number and intensity
of events that happen to us. But making decisions
about changes in our lives and maintaining some control
over how we react to those changes gives us a powerful
tool for managing stress and reducing the likelihood
of burnout." says Bloom.
Causes
Fundamental in Our Society
In
all our efforts to make the world a safer and better
place for our children, we have lagged far behind
in our views about child care. The power struggle
between the stay-at-home Mom and the working parent
continues. The superwoman image remains a far-fetched
dream rather than a reality. Add to that the day-to-day
pressures of living in the 20th century, the erosion
of our network and support systems and the lack of
a national commitment to child care, and you have
what Bloom terms the "five aspects of our society
that contribute to the burnout phenomena."
Dealing
With It All
Naturally
some stress is good for us. It makes us work harder,
aim higher. It puts a challenge in an otherwise monotonous
life. With an understanding of some of the aforementioned
causes of stress and burnout, we can work towards
developing personal strategies to restore a sense
of balance in our lives. Too, by recognizing the following
signs and symptoms of burnout, we can take pro-active
steps to make our lives more manageable. In Avoiding
Burnout, Bloom lists the following signs and
symptoms of burnout:
- Headaches
and muscle tension
- Depression/boredom/apathy
- Absenteeism/decline
in performance
- Hypertension/insomnia
- Irritability/increased
anxiety
- Increased
smoking, drinking, drug dependency and other addictions
- Escape
activities: shopping sprees/overeating/daydreaming
- Stress
related physical and emotional ailments
- Tensions
with family and friends.
Parents
should be aware of these signs and symptoms in their
child care provider. In a centre-based setting, a
decline in the quality of a program and/or the overall
moral of the staff may also indicate a problem.
The
best strategy for dealing with stress and possible
burnout is to take stock of your present situation,
both personal and professional, listing the strengths,
limitations and skills in each area. Then take a closer
look at these in terms of time management, space management
(your surroundings with regards to lightening, sound,
temperature, colour, clutter, etc., do affect your
stress level), and people management. By noting the
limitations you face in each of these areas, you can
apply your strengths and skills to get these limitations
under control.
For
example, to organize your time effectively you could
use a weekly calendar to mark down those activities
that are paramount, like the parent's meeting, or
the two evenings you spend at the gym. Next, using
a separate sheet of paper, prioritize your other obligations
and things you need to do during the week, according
to their importance. Fill your calendar in accordingly,
marking off activities as you accomplish them. Just
realizing how much you actually get done in a week
is a great confidence booster.
To
organize your space, take a closer look at how you
utilize the areas of your home, office or centre,
as well as what problems you feel you need to solve,
such as cluttered books, the lack of shelving for
toys and art supplies, or the overall appearance of
the room. Make some time in your weekly calendar to
work on these problems. Some may be as easy as rearranging
the furniture or purchasing a new shelving unit. Perhaps
you need to give the room a face-lift with a fresh
coat of paint in warm hues. To help with the noise
level, try adding a carpet, more blinds, or some decorative
wall hangings.
Managing
people requires that you learn what Bloom calls, "the
fine art of delegating." Get the parents involved,
the staff trained to handle other duties, your spouse
or kids to handle more chores. Then smile. It's the
best stress-buster of all.
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