So far, we have looked at why the spiritual well-being of front line care staff is important for building individual resilience in the emotionally demanding environment of social and health care. We hope that you enjoyed trying out some of the practical ways that you can use to help you to cope day to day. Today we are going a bit deeper to hear about one care worker’s experiences of a difficult and emotional situation, what it felt like and what she did to look after her own needs and spiritual well-being. ‘Ellie’s Story’ is a good example of why it is important to be aware of your needs and to look after your spiritual well-being. It is a positive story which shows how Ellie draws strength from her experience to help her in the future. We would like to thank Ellie, who is a 3rd year student nurse at Edinburgh University, for her contribution to the course.
Podcast – Ellie’s Story
Listen to the podcast before you start today’s activity. It is about 10 minutes long. Choose a time that suits you best and when you are ready to listen click play below.
Play Today’s Audio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
You can read the transcript if you prefer.
Activity – Learning from your colleagues
Every day care workers experience emotional moments big and small.
- Ask one of your colleagues about an emotional experience they have had at work. Try to arrange this conversation at a quiet time like during a break.
- What happened and how did the experience affect them?
- What did they do to look after their spiritual needs and well-being?
- Ask them for one piece of advice or their top tip for looking after your spiritual well-being.
Top Tip: Note down your thoughts and answers to these questions. If you would prefer, you can download the Course Learning Diary to record your answers.
We hope that the learning today has given you much deeper insights into the importance of spiritual well-being.