Wellness of the Mind
By Mary Ellen Dolan
When I was asked to share my thoughts on the new Science of Wellness: Wellness of the Mind course, I thought, “Not me. I am anything but well!” Then I remembered one of the important things I learned in the course: self-compassion! That word became very powerful for me. Not only did I learn to give myself compassion, but I really felt like a better person when I changed my attitude and became intentional about being compassionate while communicating with my staff. Our industry has a lot of rules and regulations which are needed to keep children safe, but none of us are perfect and sometimes we do not do the right things. I say “us” because I feel that it is always “US” - we are a team.
Growing up I was obedient due to the fear of consequences. As a supervisor, I have tried to lead by example and counsel when things go wrong. Unfortunately, it has been in the back of my mind that someone needs to pay and be responsible for a mistake or violation. But after attending a training session that focused on self-compassion and the things that are important to us, I realized that if I desired self-compassion, then I am sure my staff needs it too. So, although the term “self-compassion” seems quite simple, to me it screamed failure.
Mary Ellen Dolan, IEECE student and
executive director at All About Kids &
Academy of Little Learners
After completing these sessions and reflecting, I feel a whole new sense of self.
I feel I am deserving of praise, appreciation, acknowledgment, and yes, even forgiveness.
Even though the consequences for the mistakes are still going to come, I feel I am
better able to limit my focus on “what has happened” and instead focus my efforts
on not making the same mistakes again.
We can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.
Brene’ Brown
