Self-Care and Volunteering - Mentor Training

This year, in addition to the case review sessions, we are also conducting training sessions for our mentors. Although we haven’t been able to meet in person this school year, these online sessions provide an opportunity to get to know each other better and expand our knowledge base with useful information.

To help effectively, it is essential to take care of our own well-being. Recently, this topic has gained significant importance because the isolation has made life significantly more challenging for volunteer high school students. Adolescents stuck at home with their families often report increased stress and fewer support opportunities - with school closures, practices, and social gatherings, where young people usually release accumulated tension, are also canceled. Therefore, we aimed to equip students with tools to help them cope with the challenges of remote learning.

During the training, we emphasized the importance of establishing a routine. Knowing what makes us comfortable, i.e., in what situations we can relax pleasantly, allows us to create a personalized routine. This routine helps to create a system, which can be beneficial during difficulties or tough times, as it provides a reliable anchor. Moreover, a well-established routine helps us keep our priorities in mind.

When creating a routine, it is also essential to allocate time for self-care - that is, to spend time recharging ourselves. But what does it mean to take care of ourselves?

Using a bingo format, we explored activities already incorporated into our daily lives and identified potential additions to our routines. Fortunately, many apps are available today to help us with this.

Balance and Just Like Buddha

Offer a wide range of guided meditations to try.

Notion

Allows us to create personalized systems, making planning and organizing easier. Writing down tasks frees up mental capacity, as we don't have to use energy to remember everything.

Provides inspiration on almost any topic, whether fashion, study tips, or recipes. Trying new things, even small changes like a different way of preparing breakfast oatmeal, can make the seemingly endless days of remote learning less monotonous.

In the second half of the meeting, we focused on experiences with E-tanoda. We also addressed the topic of priorities, as understanding our motivations and goals is crucial in volunteer work. Students summarized their experiences from the past semester, and during the sharing of reports, we paid particular attention to reinforcing positive emotions. Recognizing our successes, courage, and selflessness is essential for our well-being and self-esteem.

The training received mostly positive feedback. Mentors were open to learning from each other’s experiences, listened attentively to each other’s stories, and shared their advice.

"It was great to gain experience through others’ experiences."

"I simply felt good and received very useful information."

"I really enjoyed talking a bit about myself and gaining experience from the more seasoned mentors."