The brain is preoccupied with our safety. However, being safe doesn’t equal feeling safe. Have you ever said to yourself, “I know it’s true, but it doesn’t feel true”? The thinking brain (the upper part of the brain) can “know” it is safe, while the emotional brain (the lower part of the brain) doesn’t feel safe. Children need to experience felt safety to recover from traumatic events and adverse histories.

We all hear that we must prioritise our wellness and mental health, but what does this actually mean? How do you practice “self-care” when it feels like one more exhausting task on your to-do list? And when it’s so much easier to just put it off until later and start watching your favourite Netflix series instead… If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, lacking in compassion, or burnt out, practicing mindfulness during your day, especially in the workplace, could be the answer.

If you’ve ever found a resolution hard to stick to and depressing to fail, remember that young people in out-of-home care have similar experiences with care goals. If you’re working with someone who’s struggling with a care goal, maybe this can help you find something outside the box that would fit their abilities better. A goal that is a trivially easy behavioural direction change rather than a behavioural destination puts less pressure on kids to be “better” and offers an avenue for slower and more permanent progress, with more opportunities to enjoy success.