Come dancing to divine knowledge. . .and come, return to the root of the root of your own self.
– Rumi

What is longevity in the field of early care and education? Is it length of time or the energy and wellness you maintain during this time? The true answer is probably somewhere in between. Learning to care for ourselves as we care for others is a lifelong lesson. In some seasons, we do better than in others. This does not detract from our impact or our intent, yet it does influence how we remember the time we spent.

We have the potential to look at stress differently and find a new balance between giving and receiving in our work. In the article “Ten Strategies For Preventing Child Care Center Director Stress and Burnout,”  Syretha O. Storey gives some practice strategies for avoiding burn out for senior leaders. The top three are:

1. Embrace Self-Care.
The first step in reducing stress and avoiding burnout is to prioritize yourself and make time for a self-care routine that nurtures your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs.

2. Complete the Stress Cycle.
Not all stress can be avoided. How we respond to stressors is just as important as working to prevent them.

3. Engage with Your Professional Community.
Early childhood directors often work in isolation from other directors…To avoid burnout, directors must find ways to engage with other directors.

Storey states, “While 77 percent of the directors reported that they routinely experience moderate to high levels of work stress, only 36 percent indicated that they have and regularly engage in a self-care routine that is used to reduce work-related stress. Given that work-related stress is often unavoidable, it is imperative that directors find ways to manage it.”

Learn more about avoiding burnout and share with someone you care about.