8th October 2024 All Posts

Supporting Wellbeing in Early Years: Ideas for Wellbeing Week

Early Years Wellbeing Week, which was first launched in 2018, is taking place from the 7th-  10th of October, finishing on World Mental Health Day. It was created to help early years educators manage the increasing challenges of their jobs, raise awareness about mental health, and share tips for looking after wellbeing. This year’s theme, “It’s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace,” highlights the importance of putting mental health first in early years settings.

Wellbeing in early years education

Wellbeing is a key focus in early years education, as it plays a crucial role in creating a nurturing and effective learning environment. When educators feel supported, healthy, and valued, they deliver high-quality care and education, which leads to better outcomes for children. On the other hand, neglecting wellbeing can result in burnout, high staff turnover, low motivation, and a drop in the overall quality of care.

Several factors can affect the wellbeing of early years educators, including:

  • Inspections by regulatory bodies like Ofsted or Care Inspectorate Wales
  • Excessive paperwork and administrative tasks
  • Financial worries and instability
  • Difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff
  • Lack of support and understanding in the workplace
  • Limited opportunities for career progression

Given that the wellbeing of staff directly influences the care provided to children, it’s essential to recognise and address the pressures faced by early years educators.

Creating a culture that prioritises staff wellbeing

Nursery owners, managers, and leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture that prioritises staff wellbeing. By adopting policies and practices that support mental, emotional, and physical health, leaders not only increase job satisfaction but also improve children’s development. Prioritising staff wellbeing is more than just a benefit for the team; it’s an investment in the success of the entire nursery. Since there is a direct link between staff wellbeing and children’s outcomes, leaders must take proactive steps to create environments where staff can express their thoughts and feelings.

It’s also important to recognise that mental wellbeing challenges affect more than just early years educators, practitioners, and staff. Nursery managers face their own set of pressures, including heavy workloads, challenges with staff retention, and a lack of support—whether from senior leadership or external resources. Often, those in management roles may feel responsible for everything, even factors beyond their control, which can feel overwhelming.

We live in a culture that encourages us to separate our personal and professional lives, yet this can be difficult when one impacts the other. How can we truly provide care for others if we aren’t prioritising our own wellbeing? Working with children and families can be an emotional rollercoaster, just as much as navigating our own personal challenges.

To help tackle these issues, we’ve launched a survey titled “A Look into Early Years Staff Wellbeing.” This survey aims to gather valuable insights from professionals across all roles within early years settings. By listening to everyone, we hope to gain a clearer understanding of the wellbeing challenges they face and identify what needs to change to better support the mental health of all educators.

The survey is quick, easy, and completely confidential. By sharing their experiences, early years professionals can shed light on the pressures that matter most and help shape the future of the sector. Participants who provide their email addresses can pre-register to receive the early year’s staff wellbeing report directly when it’s released.

To make sure your voice is heard, take part in the survey by clicking here. The survey closes on the 18th of October.

"It’s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace”

With that in mind, here are four actionable strategies for responsible employers who are committed to supporting mental health in the workplace:

Open communication: create a culture where staff feel comfortable discussing their mental health without fear of judgement. Regular check-ins, open-door policies, and encouraging honest conversations can build trust and support.

Mental health training: equip managers and staff with training to recognise signs of mental health struggles and provide guidance on how to support colleagues effectively. This not only builds awareness but ensures that staff know where to turn for help.

Work-life balance: encourage healthy boundaries between work and personal life. This might include flexible working hours, manageable workloads, and ensuring staff take breaks and holidays to recharge.

Access to mental health resources: provide access to counselling services, employee assistance programmes (EAPs), or external mental health support. Make sure staff know these resources are available and easy to access.

Here are some great resources we’ve found to support mental health and wellbeing in the early years sector:

A helpful podcast that explores mental health and wellbeing for early years professionals, offering insights and practical advice.

An online platform providing mental health support, offering self-guided programmes to help manage stress, anxiety, and other wellbeing challenges.

A useful guide for nursery managers and teams to help promote and prioritise staff wellbeing within the workplace.

A dedicated resource aimed at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of early years practitioners, offering tools and guidance to help navigate workplace pressures.

Ideas and activities to acknowledge Early Years Wellbeing Week

  • Daily wellbeing check-ins

Start each day with a wellbeing check-in. Ask staff how they’re feeling, what they need support with, and encourage open conversations about mental health.

  • Wellbeing workshops or webinars

Host workshops focused on mental health topics like stress management, mindfulness, or work-life balance. You could invite a guest speaker or use online resources such as podcasts and videos.

  • Mindfulness and relaxation sessions

Organise short, daily mindfulness or relaxation sessions for staff, such as guided breathing exercises, meditation, or simple yoga stretches to help reduce stress.

  • Gratitude wall

Create a “Gratitude Wall” in the staff room where team members can write notes of appreciation to each other or reflect on things they’re grateful for. It’s a great way to boost positivity and team morale.

  • Healthy breaks

Encourage staff to take regular breaks throughout the day. Consider providing healthy snacks or offering a relaxing, quiet space where staff can unwind.

  • Random acts of kindness day

Choose one day during Early Years Wellbeing Week to focus on kindness. Encourage staff to perform small acts of kindness for one another, whether it’s leaving a thoughtful note, offering a helping hand, or sharing a kind word.

  • Recognition and appreciation

Similar to the above, why not take time to recognise and celebrate the hard work of your team? Consider writing personalised thank-you notes to acknowledge their efforts and contributions.

We’d love to hear how you prioritise wellbeing in your setting! Share your ideas and initiatives with us and help us keep the conversation going about the importance of wellbeing in early years. Email us at marketing@connectchildcare.com, and you could be featured on our blog!

Also, don’t forget to have your say by contributing to our wellbeing survey. Together, we can bring the sparkle back to early years education and create a healthier, happier environment for everyone.

Complete the survey before it’s too late!

Have your say in our Early Years Staff Wellbeing survey and be in with a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher! Take part in our survey today and help us shape the future of staff wellbeing in early years education.
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About the Author

Content Marketing Executive at Connect Childcare