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How To Take Care of Yourself as a Recreation Worker

Feeling a little stressed, overworked, and lacking enough time these days? You’re not alone. Recreation Therapists and activity workers all around the world are currently being asked to do more.  Often, they are expected to do tasks with fewer resources and even lesser time to do it. Even for those who are respected and supported in their programs, they still feel like they need to do more while constantly worrying about the care and support that their clients need.

Self-care is an attitude towards yourself that you and your needs matter. As a professional, we often forget about our needs in order to serve others. However, sometimes we need to take extra care of ourselves to cope up with what’s happening in our lives and most importantly, in our workplace.

Now more than ever, we should make ourselves a priority. If we can’t be the best version of ourselves, how can we offer quality and meaningful services to our clients? Here are some important key points from the recent webinar I had with the Business Coach and Transformation Specialist, Sarita Johan.

Self- Awareness

Tips and Strategies for Self-Care as a Recreation Worker.

1. Fill your Own Cup

                Getting better sleep, eating healthy and nutritious food and working out are the most important steps of self-care. A trivial thing such as looking after yourself is beneficial for our wellbeing. A perfect analogy for this is the “Oxygen Mask Rule”. every time we ride a plane, we hear flight attendants say, “Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others.” Managing our self-care is a key responsibility to maintain our happiness, our physical health and our mental health. It requires consciously planning to include a time in our day to focus on our own needs. If we don’t make this conscious effort, eventually we won’t be able to take care of others.

2. Ask good questions

Communication is a two-way street. It works best when you say what you want, not what you don’t want. Communication can be rewarding if done right or it can be very frustrating. Quite often, communication is also the cause for quarrels and controversy between friends, family or co-workers. Asking good questions is simple but very beneficial. It creates an opportunity for active listening wherein the person you are talking to understands what you are trying to say rather than automatically stepping in to help or fix the problem. Asking good questions, however, is an artform in which recreation workers should constantly work on to get better at.

3. Let go of what no longer serves you

During the webinar, Sarita shared a simple exercise called the 5 by 5. If something is making you worried, ask yourself if it’s going to matter in 5 seconds, 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days or in 5 weeks. if not, then let it go and move on. This simple activity will help you slow yourself down.

4. Reflect on your day

Humans are creatures of habits. We do our daily tasks intuitively without having to think about it. We are unaware of what we constantly do. Taking a time to reflect on your day helps us to become aware of the things that we focus our time and energy on. For instance, if something does not inspire you, then you can let it go. Furthermore, reflecting on your day helps you learn from your mistakes and prevent us from repeating those mistakes and failures all over again. Reflections empower us to gain self- awareness. As what Sarita Johan mentioned, “Self-Awareness is the most powerful insight we can have because that’s where real transformation is.”

5. Tap into the power of Gratitude 

Gratitude is a powerful way to boost well-being. It is more than just an attitude or mood. Gratitude is a powerful positive energy that leads to increased psychological and physical wellbeing. A state of gratitude is available for us all the time. We only need to change our perception of what is already around us.

As a recreation worker, it’s natural for us to put others’ needs first before our own. Most often than not, we’re on autopilot mode. It’s easy for us to get caught up on the “go go go ” mentality but when you stop trying to please and do everything for everyone, you’d be surprised to claim back so much happiness.

Life is hectic and you can’t always neglect your own needs to fulfill everyone else’s.

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The Recreation Workers – ‘Yes’ addiction

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Trying to do a lot of things at once is just like going browsing through Netflix. You sit down and find something good to watch.

5 minutes…

10 minutes…

15 minutes…

And before you know it, you spent most of the day trying to figure out what to watch but you end up watching nothing!

I’m sure most of you can relate to this. This scenario is similar to trying to get a lot of things done all at once. You try to check off a lot of things in your to-do list and at the end of the day, you realize that the vital and most important tasks are left undone, and then you end up feeling unaccomplished.

The world is hectic enough as it is. Every day, more and more recreational workers are feeling stressed out and anxious because of all the things that they need to finish.

The biggest factor I see in this is that they say yes too much.

The primary reason for this stems from our desire to please others. It’s normal for us, as recreation workers, to feel this way because aside from the nature of our profession, it’s wired in our personality too. It’s a trait we have in common. We put the needs of our clients, colleagues, and co-workers before ourselves. We care so much for them that sometimes, we give more than what we receive.

The second reason is the fear of failure and the feeling of not being enough; of not doing enough of what’s expected of us. We dread the judgments from others, so we try to give the impression of being able to handle things smoothly.

Why do we need to stop this habit?

We need to stop because most often than not, it hinders us from being productive. Being productive in the sense that we get to accomplish the significant tasks that bring us closer to our goals.

The key is to learn the habit of saying “no”. Learn to prioritize your tasks and align them with your goals. Know when to say “yes” and when to say “no”.

This will help you get the right things done.

Always remember, work smarter, not harder. Cheers!

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Overwhelm in Your Recreation Program

Is feeling stressed and overwhelmed with work, or life in general, something you often deal with? Do you feel like you’re getting behind on tasks, burdened with obligations that you need to catch up on, or feel like you’re not doing enough to support your clients? I hope you realize that you are not alone.

You’re in the right place! I will be sharing the steps to relieving overwhelm, so you can keep calm and carry on with your recreation programs.

Think of the time you were tidying up your messy closet. And as you look over the sea of clothing, you don’t know where to begin. You find yourself spending so much time deciding on where to start instead of taking action. Now ask yourself, how did it become disorderly in the first place? Before you clean up your closet, you need to identify what’s causing the clutter.

You once committed to making your closet organized. But as time goes by, your closet went from clutter-free to messy. And now you feel overwhelmed because you failed on your commitment. Ask yourself why? It could be because you’re not storing your clothes properly, you bought too many clothes and just toss them around.

Circumstances like these, where you fail to follow through your commitments, are steps towards feeling overwhelmed. We made commitments at a certain point, to ourselves and our clients, yet failed to follow through because of distractions, over committing, conflicts, and unexpected turn of events. But what truly matters is how we choose to react to these situations and what we make out of it: Do you give in to the stress and breakdown and continue to overcommit? Or do you reflect, stay focused, and carry on?

Here are some tips on how to effectively eliminate overwhelm:

BE MINDFUL IN YOUR COMMITMENT

When things start to unravel for you emotionally, it affects your ability to think rationally and hinders you from accomplishing your plans. Your mind is not in a good state to do your best for yourself and your clients. Stop grinding for more and burying yourself with too much work. Recognize when you are stuck, paralyzed, and stressed over daily tasks and responsibilities.

BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT

The key to being mindful is to be present in the moment. If the feelings of overwhelm arise, focus on being present, and never under-estimate its power. Reliving the failures of the past and worrying about your to-do list or a big event coming up will do nothing but contribute to your overwhelm. I know this is inevitable, we cannot stop ourselves thinking about the past and future. It’s okay! Nothing is wrong with that. But by practising being present, you don’t necessarily do more, but you get more things done.

BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR COMMITMENTS

If you are going to miss a deadline, for instance, inform those who will be affected by it and set a new date that is realistic and possible. You have to be clear and be realistic with others and yourself. Consider the time, health, current situation, financial abilities, and expectations. Doing this sets achievable goals and you’ll feel less overwhelmed and burned-out. It also helps explain to others exactly what your plans are for achieving or not achieving that request. If you tell someone “I can get to that in 4 weeks”, they will have a greater expectation of when it will be done and can begin to understand your workload. If they ask for it immediately, ask which commitments you should sacrifice.

BE HONORABLE WITH YOUR WORDS

Honouring your commitments and promises, whether big or small, will get clients to honour you back. However, it’s sometimes a challenge to do what we say we’ll do. We want to help our clients, make meaningful and engaging activities for them, or transform their lives. That’s why being realistic and conscious of all your commitments play a huge part in this. Practice this to relieve feeling overwhelmed.

There’s ALWAYS something that needs to be done, it’s a never-ending checklist.

The purpose of these tips isn’t to help you check the items off your list, but to help you start feeling less overwhelmed and eliminate the stress in life. You took this career to forge better lives for your clients and yourself.

Overwhelm is part of the process, but it doesn’t have to be part of you.

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How to be EVEN MORE everywhere – A Guide for Busy Recreation Workers

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Recreation workers are potentially some of the busiest healthcare professionals there are. A great deal of expectation is put upon them, especially during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Recreation workers and professionals have never been more overworked, stressed, and ironically… isolated. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is paramount to keep stress levels, anxieties, and frustrations at bay. On top of all this, Recreation workers are often more prone to saying yes to everything. They want to support and care for the clients so say yes to everything as a way of pleasing and caring for clients, family, and management. But what happens when workplace stress is too much to handle?

Creating and planning recreation programs and activities for isolated clients can be challenging nowadays. We want nothing but the best for our clients, to run successful programs care for both ourselves, our clients, and the community. But how do we define success? We don’t! We don’t have to define it, as the definition of success varies for each person. But ONE common thing about successful people, and programs, is that they take charge of their time and energy and know what to focus on. That’s what differs them from unsuccessful people.

In this article, we will highlight the tips and strategies on how to keep your head above water so you can create the best recreation programs for your clients. Consequently, making you feel inspired, free and in control during this turbulent time.

Creating and planning recreation programs for isolated clients is a challenging duty. We want nothing but the best for our clients and the community. A successful program is made by successful people who take charge of their time and energy. These kinds of people have a clear idea of what their goals are and what to focus on.

What are the chances that the busiest people are the most productive? Most people believe that being busy is synonymous with being productive. They work hard to finish a lot of tasks and yet they don’t get any closer to the finish line. The inability to meet deadlines and produce efficient outputs results in unwanted stress and pressure. Subsequently, taking a toll on our mental health.

Productivity is all about being mindful of what to focus on. Productive people, and recreation workers, use their time and resources wisely to achieve their goals without compromising their wellbeing.

Here are three simple and highly effective steps to boost your productivity.

a quote about how to be increase productivity.

Three Steps to Being More Productive

Step 1: Set Up Clear Goals!

Identify your north star and prioritize the goals that help you achieve it. Your north star is the personal mission that you want to achieve. It might help to sit and write down all your goals. It could be having a safe and encouraging community, more time to plan and create activities, hiring more staff and volunteers, or maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It will be easier to accomplish these goals if you know exactly what matters to you.

Step 2: Plan Your Strategy!

A successful program comes from successful planning. Take baby steps and make one positive choice after another. Furthermore, look for the little victories you achieve along the way. These “mini-victories” are simple, easily achievable goals that you can see tangible progress rather quickly. If you see fast results, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and will be inspired to take on the next goals.

I see recreation workers, in their endless motivation, skip this step and just get started. They forget to stop, plan and strategize. It’s something I’ve had to learn over time but it’s a process that continues to pay off!

Step 3: Get There Effortlessly!

The key to attaining a successful recreation program effortlessly is an efficient planning strategy. Focus on the important things that can help you get where you want to be instead of trying to do everything at once.

Below are tips to identify what is worth focusing on:

1. Take a Step Back

Take a step back and see the whole situation with a bird’s eye view. Identify the things that aren’t helping you achieve your goals. This will allow you to let go of the unnecessary things that could cause distractions. In addition, taking a step back can help you re-direct your path towards achieving your goal.

2. Ask Questions

Know the right questions to ask yourself. What is your key goal? What do you really need? What is the simplest way to do the tasks at hand? Who is the best person to ask? Has someone already done this before me? What is the ONE thing that I can do that will make everything else easier?

As the saying goes, the quality of your questions determines the quality of your life. Most of the time, whenever I work with Recreation Leaders, I ask them to clarify the questions they’re asking themselves. It’s a matter of being clear on what you’re searching for and knowing how to ask it.

When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask your friends or colleagues for some feedback. It’s hard to criticize your own work as it’s still too familiar. Sometimes, it’s helpful to add some fresh eyes to assess your work.

3. Take Inspiration From Others

Take inspiration from the people you look up to. Get some fresh ideas from the people who share the same passion as yours. Observe how they think, listen to what they say, and find out the exact steps on how they achieved their goals. Take inspiration and then incorporate your own ideas and you’re good to go!

Most importantly, never underestimate the power of seeking help from experts. I have encountered many people getting the best results after getting help from people who have mastered their expertise in creating successful programs. There is value in learning from someone who is great in their field.

Don’t worry or get frustrated, simply observe your habits, and look for ways to become more productive over time.

Your workload is one of the important things that you have control over. You can decide on what to focus on every day. Each day presents a new opportunity to grow and move forward with your success. Be mindful of what your goals are and take the necessary steps to reach them without compromising your physical and mental health

Thank you for reading my post on Productivity!

No matter what you took away from this, the most important thing to remember is to take control of what you CAN control. And you will be surprised by how much you can take control of it!

It IS a journey, and it’s not going to happen overnight!

Please leave your comments below, I would love to hear from you.

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How To Create and Plan Recreation Programs for Isolated Clients

One of the major challenges our isolated clients face during this time, is the increased risk of loneliness. Loneliness has a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health.  Aside from being more likely to feel depressed, isolated clients dealing with loneliness have a high possibility of increased physical decline, are less able to deal with stressful situations, can have problems processing information, and can impact memory and decision-making.

Planning recreation programs for isolated clients is paramount to counteract these negative effects. The benefits of planning recreation and engaging clients are:

  • Improved physical health
    • Enhanced mental health
    • Better self esteem
    • Increased cognitive function
    • Sense of belonging, of meaning and purpose

For a recreational program to be successful, here are some important key steps to consider.

Plan meaningful and purposeful activities. Identify the activity first, then get creative. See the infographic below.

Another important thing to keep in mind is, that during this time, your staff are likely overworked, stressed and anxious. It’s important to include your staff, and other teams, in developing a plan just as it’s important to create plans for your clients. Establishing a holistic approach to a high-standard way of planning your program.

Plan your time wisely

It can be easy to get overwhelmed, exhausted, and have people delegating or expecting too much of you. A key step is to identify and map out your time and availability. Here is a simple tool that helps you map out your time and helps demonstrate exactly how much time you have with each person, what is realistic. It’s not feasible to overcommit or be asked to do more than you can. But without a clear understanding of what your availability is, you can better communicate this with others and with yourself.

A sample of an Equality Calculator Description automatically generated

(Click here to access the blank excel document and the template example of the Equality Calculator. )

Self-care and leadership.

Leaders need to motivate and inspire others. They collaborate among teams, develop people, solve problems and achieve goals. As recreation professionals, regardless of our positions, we are responsible for promoting, advocating and supporting our client’s recreation lifestyle. Therefore, we are inherently leaders within our area. To do this properly, leaders need to be in a happy place and in a right mindset. Hence, it is important to practice self-care.

Communication tool kit and plan

We should always be ready and prepared. Our toolkit is the skills, abilities, resources and training that we constantly build upon and use. You will no doubt have a range of resources that you already utilize, we need to regularly add and build your skills and have them ready for each client and situation. 

In addition, it also desirable to Set clear guidelines and pre-set resources. It can help significantly when discussing concerns with clients, family, management or others when we have a preset template of responses, information, guidelines or resources. Taking time to develop these can save us a lot of time in the long run.

Resources

Take time to list down all your available resources to begin with. Writing them down on a piece of paper is a simple task, but an extremely effective one. Technology is also a great tool during this time. For older clients who don’t own a computer or smartphone, you can always utilize the use of telephones.

The old-fashioned landline phones are a good option for seniors. They have large keys which makes the phone easy to use. In addition, phones have photo speed dial that will allow seniors to call certain people with just the press of a single button. Lastly, they do not need to be charged and they also continue to function even without power.

Take it back to basics.

When stuck on an activity or request, take it back to basics. Take time to plan, to know what resources you have, get more resources, then write down what you have planned from there. Use the steps above to break down this process.

Volunteers

As COVID-19 affects the entire population, it is necessary to make modifications to our workplace situations. It can be helpful to hire new volunteers or convert existing volunteers to virtual ones. In addition, creating automated systems can be a great help as well. We have been getting a great deal of success with recruiting for virtual volunteers.

Technology

 Googling is also a very effective tool and skill for searching different activities and solutions for clients. I highly suggest trying 5 different ways to re-word your search on google for each topic you’re searching.

Furthermore, here are my top 5 favorite applications or tools.

  1. Google Translate
  2. Google
  3. Amazon Firestick or smart TV’s
  4. Smart Tablets
  5. Skype, FaceTime or Zoom

Take care of yourself

In leading your program, you must first practice self-care. We need to take care of ourselves to better manage our program and to be able to cope with what’s to come. We must have the right mindset.

To be a good leader, we must be in a good frame of mind and a have a positive attitude. A great leader must also be curious and passionate in order to make better decisions, inspire others, delegate tasks effectively and take others on the journey to better programming and better lives.