Positive thinking

Albert Einstein once said, “we cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” When people are anxious or worried about a situation, they can often find themselves spiralling into even deeper negative ways of thinking. By encouraging young people to think more positively about what they are facing, this can help them find the good in a situation and start to work on plans to improve things if they are not right, or at least begin to relax and think more clearly. Positive thinking can also have a profound effect on your overall mood, so it is a great habit to get into.

Listening and talking

As a care home manager or older colleague, you can offer a listening ear to younger carers or residents if they are looking for help, advice or just a sympathetic ear. Simply being there for a young person can make all the difference. Make sure you stop and really listen to them – that way, you can get a greater insight into what is troubling them and can often find it easier to help support their mental health concerns. Listen without judgement and without immediately trying to jump in and solve things for them. Likewise, talking to younger colleagues or care home residents in the same non-judgemental, co-operative way will help them open up and trust you as a source of guidance and support.

Mentoring and being a role model

It is perfectly fine to let a young person know when you are feeling worried yourself and to show them how to cope with difficult feelings healthily and calmly. Show them how to look after themselves, stay healthy and draw sensible boundaries to protect their emotional wellbeing. Anyone can mentor someone else, and it can be a hugely rewarding activity when you see it having a positive effect on young person. Try to build positive routines for yourself around working hours, rest periods, eating properly and exercising. It is often more effective to show someone what you want them to know, rather than simply telling them.

Mindfulness and fun activities

Here’s another famous saying. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” While there are quite a large number of tasks that have to be completed during a working shift, or as part of the daily routine, that doesn’t mean it must all be work and no play. Make sure your younger staff members have enough rest breaks and periods of downtime during the day. You can do this by careful rota management so that you have sufficient staff available to cover each other’s breaks properly. Set up opportunities for staff to socialise with each other outside of work if they wish. For younger care home residents, plan lots of fun activities, trips and therapeutic sessions so that they can relax and find plenty of enjoyment in life.

Following up

Finally, keep a record of any issues that your younger staff or residents come to you to discuss. Maken sure you respect their confidentiality by writing any notes respectfully and keeping them somewhere secure. Care Vision has record-keeping tools that allow for this – the system is password protected to avoid unauthorised access to any sensitive information like this. Keep in touch with your younger residents and staff members to make sure that any issue they mention to you are not escalating, or that no new anxieties have arisen that they are struggling to cope with alone. Seek professional help if you feel that anything they disclose is not within your skillset to handle correctly.