I received a question from a subscriber: “How not to burn out while working with children?” First of all, as with any other professional activity, it is important to focus on true career guidance. If the process of interacting with children brings pleasure and you, for example, have dreamed of working with them since childhood, this is the basics. Otherwise, “burnout” will overtake you after a couple of days of such work, which will not be effective and the results will not please you, the children, or their parents. Unfortunately, in this case, children may receive psychological trauma, and you may develop some kind of psychosomatic disease. If we have already decided that working with children is your calling, then we can consider in more detail the prevention of professional burnout. First of all, it is important to accept your feelings. Both a loving mother and a competent teacher may display ambivalence of feelings. It is impossible to never experience negative emotions. Sometimes anger, irritation, anxiety, and disappointment appear. And it's okay to experience them. Try to accept the fact that it is impossible to be an ideal teacher, just like an ideal mother. But “good enough” is quite. Awareness and acceptance of your feelings makes it easier to live through them. Simple recommendations for preventing burnout when working with children: 1. Acceptance of all your feelings; 2. “Grounding”. For example, put your feet on the floor and imagine yourself as a powerful green tree, the roots of which go deep into the ground; 3. Breathing practices;4. Adequate rest. It is impossible to be effective at work if you do not get enough sleep, work two hours, refuse vacation, etc.5. Decent wages (highly desirable);6. Opportunities for professional growth. Advanced training, communication with colleagues and mentors, etc.; 7. A stable, favorable atmosphere in the family. Otherwise, thoughts about unresolved household matters will certainly be transferred to the work space;8. “Teacher’s beacon.” For example, in a situation of an impending conflict with a child or his parent, tell yourself: “The teacher is me,” show wisdom, trying not to leave your professional position;9. Contact with water (wash your face, drink);10. In addition to professional activities, it is important to have exciting hobbies and activities that will allow you to switch; 11. Contact with nature; A walk by the sea, a picnic on a green lawn, contemplation of flowers and ducks on the lake will help you enter a resourceful state; 12. Meditative practices;13. If you still feel that you can’t cope on your own, seek help from a specialist psychologist who will help you get through the crisis stage and continue to live in harmony with yourself and your professional sphere. It is especially difficult to work with children who have special needs. In this case, it is advisable to reduce the length of the working day and increase the rest period. Contact with the child is important; do not set unattainable goals. Even a seemingly small positive change is already an achievement; praise your baby and yourself for the result achieved. I hope that the recommendations offered will be useful to you. Take care of yourself. And remember that a happy teacher (like a parent) has happy children :) Psychologist Oksana Bardaeva, Kaliningrad, 8-911-451-76-85