WE value you

Our mindset affects the way that we live, love, work and play. But the mindset that we choose to have does not just affect us, it affects the people we live and work with too.

If we don’t care for ourselves we cannot care for others. The stressors we experience at work and at home can take a toll on our minds and bodies. If we do not manage our health and mindset we can suffer from burnout and find ourselves providing poor supports.

Through self-care and mindfulness we can be sure we are providing quality supports every day. By building our resilience we can also make sure we quickly recover from difficult situations.

In this module we will look at:

Growth mindset and how to think in a strengths based way
Why self-care matters and what strategies you could put in place right now
Why mindfulness matters and how to practice it even if don’t want to meditate
How resilience helps us to bounce back from adversity

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.

– Jon Kabat-Zinn

Standards Mapping

Click the coloured headings below to view how the content in this lesson correlates with the Aged Care and National Disability Service Standards:

Aged Care Standards

Standard 3: Personal Care and Clinical Care

Growth mindset explored to see how a learning and strengths-based approach will create greater opportunities for individual consumer outcomes

Standard 4: Services and Supports for Daily Living

Workforce can describe how they have supported the emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being of consumers because they are aware of their own

Standard 5: Organisation's Service Environment

Caring for themselves, staff ensure they are delivering safe, effective, quality care and services, in a safe, comfortable environment

Standard 7: Human Resources

Workforce interactions with consumers are kind, caring and respectful
Workers have understanding of adaptability and capacity to bounce back
Coping strategies to lead with as well as observe in the older person

Standard 8: Organisational Governance

Preventing incidents by reducing staff burn out

For more information see the Aged Care Standards. You can also download the Aged Care Standards in languages other than English.

Disability Service Standards

Standard 3: Individual Outcomes

Growth mindset explored to see how a learning and strengths-based approach will create greater opportunities for individual outcomes

Standard 6: Service Management

Frontline staff, management and governing bodies are suitably qualified, skilled and supported
The service has learning and reflection processes which support continuous improvement
Preventing incidents by reducing staff burn out

For more information see DACSSA’s page on the National Standards for Disability Services. You can also download the National Standards for Disability Services in languages other than English.

What is a Mindset?

Our mindset is made up of beliefs and values that we have learned. When we something happens we let our beliefs and values decide what it means. The two main types of mindsets we hear about are fixed mindset and growth mindset. Watch the video below for more information.

Knowing what you do about mindsets, take a look at the statements below and consider whether they are a fixed or growth mindset. Click on or hover over the cards to reveal the answer.

I can learn to do anything I want

Growth Mindset

I just stick to doing the things I'm good at

Fixed Mindset

Challenges are an opportunity to learn

Growth Mindset

I have failed if I don't get it right the first time

Fixed Mindset

It’s probably no surprise that a growth mindset is good for all of us! It’s good for carers, colleagues, the people we work with and their families.

If we see difficult situations as opportunities for learning we will have better outcomes. When we see feedback as a way to learn about how we can do things better we can innovate new ways of doing things. Also, when we remember that we are all capable of learning new things, everyone thrives!

A Moment of Reflection...

Which mindset do you think you have when it comes to learning new skills? Growth or fixed?

Do you have a different mindset if the skill you are learning is for work or home?

One of the ways we can encourage a growth mindset is by thinking in a strengths-based way. This means looking for strengths in everyone including ourselves. Everybody has strengths! When we focus on strengths in a situation we are more likely to find innovative solutions, connect with meaningful resources and continue our journey of growth and learning.

For example, remember Joe from the Communication module? Joe really loved the time he spent with his family but once they left he withdrew and could become aggressive with staff. If we apply a strengths-based approach to this situation we might find that one of Joe’s strengths is love. He has a great attachment to his family and cares deeply for them. Being aware of this strength we can find strategies to promote Joe’s love for his family and maybe build relationships within the aged care facility.

There are many strengths that you may recognise in people. For example; love, gratitude, fairness, judgement, perseverence, spirituality. None are more important than others, just different.

Do you know your own strengths?

If you are interested you can take the VIA Character Strengths Survey to find out which strengths are most important to you. It is a free survey but you will need to register your email address to receive your report.

Take the Test

OPTIONAL

We know that a growth mindset and strengths based thinking give us good outcomes. They make our lives better and make the lives of the people around us better as well. So why doesn’t everybody have a growth mindset already? Why don’t we all see the strengths in each other?

It is because our subconscious brain is biased towards negativity. If we receive praise and an insult from the same colleague in one day, which one do you think we remember? We will remember the insult easier and we will feel the emotions associated with it more deeply. This is our unconscious brain’s way of keeping us safe. It is because traditionally, when we were cavemen, our brains taught us to stay away from things that hurt or felt dangerous. Science is showing us that we can re-wire our thinking to be more positive but it does take practice!

Changing our mindset can be hard! Explore the headings below for more information on why this might be.

Confirmation Bias

Our brains are biased to look for information that supports our argument. For example, if we believe that the COVID vaccine is making people sicker, we will accept the article saying that and dismiss the other three articles that say it is making people better.

Confirmation bias can keep us in the same fixed mindset because we don’t believe we need to change.

Fitting In

It is hard being different. Sometimes we may chose to adopt the same mindset as our friends, family and workplace just to avoid being different. This helps us avoid being bullied or excluded for being different.

Being 'Wrong'

Accepting a new mindset might make us feel like our old mindset was wrong. This isn’t entirely correct.

Our mindsets serve us in different ways throughout our lives. What was the ‘right’ mindset for us when we were 22 years old will probably be different when we are 52. This is because as we age we learn and experience the world and the people in it. This information then helpsto inform our mindsets and beliefs.

For example, social changes and movements will affect our mindsets. Many people were forced to change their mindsets during the human rights movements of the 70’s.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Human beings are creatures of habit. We may adopt a new way of thinking but when we are challenged our brain will automatically go back to its old mindset. We need to actively chose the new mindset over and over. This can be tiring, especially in times of stress. It is important that we keep choosing that new mindset so our brain can develop new habits.

Remember to keep your growth mindset and don’t be upset if your brain goes back to the old way of thinking sometimes. Acknowledge the thought without judgement and replace it with a thought that better fits with your new mindset.

All things are difficult before they are easy.

– Thomas Fuller

Self-Care

Caring for others is rewarding but it can also be difficult. We need to make sure that we care for ourselves before we can care for others. If we don’t care for ourselves first, we cannot be at our best and we cannot give our best.

Watch the video below to hear about Emel and Barbara’s story.

Working in aged care we are exposed to stress, illness and death. This can and will take a toll on us. If this goes unmanaged we may develop trauma or become burned out. Burn out and fatigue looks different for everyone but you should speak to your supervisor if you notice the following in yourself or a colleague:

BURN OUT ALERT

Physical or emotional exhaustion
Poor sleep or feeling tired
Headaches
Negativity
Feeling useless or hopeless
Making mistakes
Ongoing illness or absence from work

We can manage the effect that work and life stress has on us. One of the ways we can do this is through self-care. Self-care helps us to stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. It includes skills, strategies and attitudes.

Self-care is about understanding ourselves and the way we respond to stress so that we can manage emotions and physical needs to prevent burnout. We should practice self-care all the time, not just when we’re feeling stressed. Self-care is not selfish and it is not just for people who are unwell.

Just like burn out, self-care looks different for everyone. The strategies you choose to put in place might be used while you are at work or at home. They will also depend on what is important to you. For example, if you know that you need 8 hours sleep to work well, your strategy might be to go to bed by 10pm. While this is a strategy that you use at home, it will impact on your work as well.

Some basic strategies to add to your self-care plan might include:

self care strategies

PHYSICAL

Get enough exercise
Eat a nutritious diet
Get enough sleep
Make and attend health appointments

SOCIAL

Spend time with friends and family
Maintain work and home boundaries
Debrief with your supervisor after difficult conversations
Speak with a professional counsellor or therapist

PERSONAL

Doing things you enjoy
Meditate or pray
Spend time in nature
Check in with your emotions and physical wellbeing

What is your current self-care status?

If you are interested in finding out, you can complete the reflection on the ELDAC website. It can take up to 15 minutes and no registration is required.

Click Here

OPTIONAL

A Moment of Reflection...

What do you already do for self care?

What do you want to focus on more?

Self-care means giving the world the best of you instead of what is left of you.

– Katie Reed @amotherthing

Mindfulness

To enhance our self-care practice, we need to be self-aware. We can do this by practicing mindfulness. Over the past decade, mindfulness has become a buzz-word when talking about self-care and wellbeing. Many people stop listening as soon as mindfulness is mentioned. Please, stick with us!

The way our brains work and the environments we live in cause us to spend a lot of time thinking about the past or the future instead of the present. Often our minds are full of deadlines, chores, worries. People, electronics, social media, television are all fighting for our attention.

Mindfulness is about bringing that attention back to ourselves again. It’s about being aware of ourselves and our surroundings right here and now. Science has shown that daily mindfulness practice can improve mental health, immunity, focus, heart function and prevent mental decline.

While these are really great outcomes, one of the main reasons we promote mindfulness at work is so that we can be present enough to respond to our environment rather than react. When we are stressed or upset we tend to react to situations. Reacting is impulsive and thoughtless, it’s our subconscious brain taking over. What we really need in these situations is to respond. This means taking a breath, assessing the situation and being thoughtful in our next action. Self-awareness and mindfulness will help us to do this.

Take a mindful moment right now with this 2 minute video.

There are lots of different mindfulness activities you can use daily. Many of these activities are less than five minutes so not having enough time is no excuse! And not all mindfulness activities include meditation.

Pick one of the many strategies below to try once a day this week. If you find it doesn’t work for you, try another. Keep your growth mindset and remember mindfulness requires practice.

Focus on Your Breath

This is the most common type of mindfulness that people think of:

Box breaths – breath in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, hold for four seconds and repeat.
Counting Breaths – breath in, count one, breathe out, count one. Breathe in, count two, breathe out, count two and continue.

Use your senses

Take a moment wherever you are to be aware of your surroundings. You could do one or all of the following depending on how much time you have:

Pick a colour and find five things in your environment that are that colour
Listen to see what five things you can hear
What five things can you feel? This could be pressure on your feet from standing or the cold air on your face
Eat something pleasurable and allow it to sit in your mouth for a minute. Notice the taste and texture.
Smell something pleasurable like a candle or a cup of coffee. Notice the smell but also how it makes you feel.

Get physical

Use mindfulness strategies as you practice a sport, work out or do an activity. Focus only on your surroundings or the muscles you are using:

Take a walk
Practice yoga
Colour in
Work in the garden

Hint: Most activities can be done mindfully!

Use your imagination

Use one of the ideas below or listen to a guided meditation on the internet:

Imagine you are standing in a field blowing bubbles. Each time you feel an emotions or think a thought, attach it to a bubble and let it float away.
Go to your ‘happy place.’ Close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere that you love. What can you see, hear, smell and feel?

Mindfulness at Work

As you arrive at work, ask yourself: am I hungry, angry, late, tired or sensitive? If so, do something to remedy the situation. All of these states can cause us to be emotional and fail to be in the moment.
Practice active listening. Really focus on the person who is speaking without letting outside distractions interrupt you. Focus on their facial expressions, the pace of their voice and body language.
Eat mindfully on your break. Focus on taste and texture of every bite.
Notice when you begin to feel overwhelmed and take a moment away from the situation to ground yourself with some mindful breathing.

A Moment of Reflection...

Think of a difficult situation you have experienced at work.

In the moment did you react to the situation? Or did you respond?
How would you have responded differently if you were more mindful of yourself and your surroundings?

Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

– Sharon Salzburg

Resilience

Resilience is our ability to ‘bounce back’ after a difficult situation. We can recover quickly from a difficult situation if our resilience is high. Watch the video below for more information.

Like a growth mindset, resilience is good for us all! It’s good for us as individuals, as a team and as a community. We all need support sometimes, and that’s okay. But if we can build our resilience it means we can be there to help others when they need us. And because we practice self-care, we will be able to care for them.

Everything we have learned about in this module will help us to build our resilience.

Mindset

The way we choose to see a situation will affect the way we respond to it. If we have been asked to do a different job or work with a different person, we can choose to see it using a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

The fixed mindset will cause us to believe this different job is a terrible idea, we will never learn how to do it or that we won’t get along with the new person. Meanwhile, choosing a growth mindset will help us to believe that this may be a challenge but it is an opportunity. We can make the best of the situation by focusing on learning new things and meet new people.

Self-Care

Remember you can’t care for someone else unless you care for yourself first. If we are healthy physically, mentally and spiritually, we can rise to the challenge.

Mindfulness

This helps us to be aware of what we are feeling and what is happening around us. Being mindful can help us to see a difficult situation for what it really is – a situation. It is our mindset which decides the situation is difficult.

Mindfulness causes us to see the situation and the way we feel and think about it without judgement. Being aware of the facts of the situation can help us to respond instead of reacting.

A tree that bends with the wind does not break.

– Anonymous

WE value you

Our mindset affects the way that we live, love, work and play. But the mindset that we choose to have does not just affect us, it affects the people we live and work with too.

If we don’t care for ourselves we cannot care for others. The stressors we experience at work and at home can take a toll on our minds and bodies. If we do not manage our health and mindset we can suffer from burnout and find ourselves providing poor supports.

Through self-care and mindfulness we can be sure we are providing quality supports every day. By building our resilience we can also make sure we quickly recover from difficult situations.

Standards Mapping

Aged Care Standards

Disability Service Standards

What is a Mindset?

I can learn to do anything I want

Growth Mindset

I just stick to doing the things I'm good at

Fixed Mindset

Challenges are an opportunity to learn

Growth Mindset

I have failed if I don't get it right the first time

Fixed Mindset

A Moment of Reflection...

Do you know your own strengths?

Self-Care

BURN OUT ALERT

self care strategies

PHYSICAL

SOCIAL

PERSONAL

What is your current self-care status?

A Moment of Reflection...

Mindfulness

A Moment of Reflection...

Resilience

Conclusion

Course Evaluation

Further Resources