LCVYS Staff & Volunteer Wellbeing Programme podcast

This recording asks the listener to consider the role of endings, separations and goodbyes in their work with young people. We know that we won't work with them forever, but it doesn't ensure that the end of the relationship with them is free from discomfort or emotional unease of discomfort, for them or us. This topic helps you to anticipate, manage and process endings, in whatever shape or form they come, and especially sudden and unresolved endings which can actually leave a deep emotional imprint. You'll learn how to make the endings as kind for yourself, as well as the young people you work with, to understand and honour your own 'recovery needs' as you experience the unacknowledged grief that often comes with the end of a relationship with a young person or group.

This recording explores how readily our psychological states as humans impact others, to the point where we may be considered 'emotionally contagious'; in other words, we can absorb their emotional states, as they can absorb ours. This occurs beyond our conscious awareness, and has inevitable implications for those of us who work with emotionally vulnerable young people.The inherent danger is that we take on worries, pressures and emotional burdens that are beyond our remit or control, our vulnerable young people can then begin to absorb the impacts of those increased stressors - all while neither we, nor them, have any awareness of this happening. This topic explores how to practice with greater awareness around this area, and in particular how to maintain your own emotional buoyancy - and thus supporting young people's - especially when we are overstretched, under-equipped, and prone to carrying the weight of responsibilities or expectations that we aren't in a position to take on (even if we want to).

Exploring the interactive relationship between our own wellbeing and that of the young people we work with, this theme starts by looking at the all-important role of boundaries; do we have them? Why? Why do we know we're implementing them? When are they are risk? What do we need to do to protect them better? Most importantly, we'll explore how we can feel better about ourselves and our work, while fostering healthy and trusting relationships with our most vulnerable young people when we manage our boundaries effectively.

This recording helps the listener to explore their own motivators and better understand what this means for their wellbeing, e.g. how to engage in the activities which energise you and avoid, where possible, those which drain you. You'll better understand how to play to your strengths so you can give the most to your role, as well as get the most from it -because that matters too!

This theme explores the how a strong sense of self, e.g. our sense of identify and 'who we are', not just 'what we do', supports our wellbeing. Self-awareness can be hugely supportive, ensuring that we know and understand ourselves and our own unique ways of interpreting and interacting with the world, and this recording explores our emotional worlds, in particular understanding what triggers us, and how we can respond to and manage those triggers, rather than just feeling that others or circumstances which are beyond our control are in the driving seat.

Self-care can feel self-indulgent, tokenistic and a waste of time. But it's way more than bubble baths and relaxing music, and is in fact essential for practitioners who support vulnerable young people (or adults) in their work. Based on the 'Self-Care Wheel', this recording explored how this simple framework can help you meaningfully define what 'self-care' means for you, and practice it in ways which firstly work for you, and secondly help you to pro-actively protect your wellbeing, rather than just reacting to psychological challenges as they arise.