Published on 12, July, 2020
I am so sorry to post again, I just don't know where to turn to help myself in my situation. I have previously mentioned that I have started a course part-time and some volunteer work.
I am three weeks in on the course and two weeks in volunteering. The course is a struggle. It involves a lot of practical work with working in two or threes. A lot of focus on what the other s saying and having a response. It is something I wanted to work towards career wise, but wonder if it is a little too far to reach. I have had some people think it is a good idea to do the course and others who think it is bad choice. So at the moment I am doing it day by day, but feel concerned that I will one day quit.
The volunteering as I mentioned is with children. There are two of us and the other person leads the session, so does all the explaining of tasks and summarising what they are learning. From day one I have struggled to interact with the children. It may seem silly, but I find even the smallest interaction is difficult. For example a child may say their leg hurts. I just don't know what to say, yet the other volunteer is so natural and may ask "oh I am sorry, do you know why it hurts". There are all of these small interactions, my mind is just blank. If the children are doing a physical activity. The other volunteer may give small instructions "keep head facing straight ahead" or "well done you are doing great". None of this comes to mind. Very rarely I may be able to say "you are doing well", but it is very rare. I just find it so difficult. I mentioned briefly to the lead volunteer that I struggle to know what to say and when to say things. That I was stressing out. They were great about it and said I was doing good and that I should just be myself. That if I need prior information on what the next session is then she can let me know etc.
I thought it would help, but I have just come from a session and I feel awful. It has been a huge shock struggling so badly. Now I feel deflated and feel I am just going along to make numbers up. That I am not really volunteering because I am not joining in. It is horrible to feel this way.
I don't know what else I can do. The thing is if I stop the course and the volunteer work it will have a bad effect on my mood and I know I am just holding it together now. Not sure who to turn to because those closest to me already expect me to quit and I cannot mention my struggles. I have often been told that if I don't change my life will always be this way.
It has taken so much for me to even study and volunteer. I am just scared that if I can't maintain it my mental health will suffer. I just don't know what my options are. I mean obviously I am hearing the interactions between the lead volunteer and the children. I can see how the interactions work, but I cannot do it myself. I feel like a loser who can't even hold a conversation.
I am really sorry for posting again.
No please don't apologise for posting again. It's absolutely fine, really it is. First of all you had a goal, you worked towards it and you're actually doing it. That's great. Really hard to do but you've done it. Secondly, you're doing 2 newish things at once, studying and volunteering. You've given yourself a lot to do and a lot to get used to. Again, that's great. Thirdly, everyone takes time to settle into something new but we often take longer and that's ok. And you are learning new skills which again take time. Listen to your lead volunteer.. be yourself and you're doing fine so that's ok they can see your potential. So if you can don't stop just yet, give yourself a bit more time, tell yourself it's ok you are learning, when we are learning we can't do everything naturally straight away, we have to practice, so remember that you are practicing. It's really hard when the session hasn't gone well and you know it and you feel like not only have you let yourself down but others too. I have an more than one horrendous teaching practice one of which I failed but I had others that I really enjoyed and in the end I passed. So is your goal something you are still keen on? And if this is one way to achieve that just keep reminding yourself you are on a stepping stone. You are doing this for you not for those who think you ought to change. Change can be good and positive and helpful but enforced change to please others is not. Is this a permanent volunteering role or does it have a specific time schedule? If it's permanent you know you are giving yourself a good chance to learn and you can give yourself time. Or you can tell yourself I'll give it a chance til Christmas or Easter to see if I feel more comfortable. If you are still uncomfortable then don't stay because that's not good for you either. How often are you going? Is it for a couple of hours, daily ? Sometimes on placements I found going one day a week harder than being there for a full week because it gives you a better chance to settle in. What are the parts of the volunteering you can do? Can you be the one to get everyone drinks and snacks? Can you be the one who tidies away and cleans up? Can you be the one taking the children to the loo if they are little nursery age? Are you out doorsy.. are there things outside you can do? Are your interests something you can share? Is there a way you can contribute sort of more in the background or could you try reading stories instead of conversation? I hope your next volunteering day is better. Let me know how you get on.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and offer of support. You have made some valid points. Thank you for sharing that you yourself have had experience of both good and bad with teaching practice.
In terms of my goal and if it is something I still want to work towards I am not sure where I stand. I was at a point where I wanted to work in a role that is offering support to others in terms of developing themselves. I am better one on one than large groups and I have to be somewhere with facilities. For example 5 years ago I qualified as a personal trainer. I wanted to use exercise to help others develop themselves not just their weight/fitness etc. To me exercise is so much more.
However I have never done anything with it. Part of me wishes I had. Sport has always been a big part of my life and I know it can help with a lot of things. Due to confidence and self-esteem I doubt I will ever go down that route.
So I ended up signing up for a Counselling course, which I am doing now. It seemed like a good option, but as mentioned in the above it involves a lot of interaction in terms of conversing. It is harder than I imagined. So this I am having doubts with.
The volunteer work is for 1 hour on one day and 2 hours on another. It only runs for 8-10 weeks and won't know if it will be long term. So it isn't actually a lot, well to me it feels like it. In theory this volunteer work is something I have wanted to do previously. Combining exercise with self-development for children. It is ideal. However again I am shocked at how difficult it is.
I am scared if I quit the course it will send me in to a negative place and it will cause friction with family. I have not mentioned any of my struggles or anxiety, because with them there is never any place for it. If I quit I will feel like a let down and that I can't manage much.
It is really hard. I want to get back in to employment and earn a living, this course and volunteer work was to build experience and confidence. Oh I don't know anymore.
I think it's different for everyone and everyone finds change places an extra mental load on themselves, so you launching into two at once is a bit of extra pressure, but like any new job or course (and as Misfit has already said), it takes time to settle in. I remember when I started a new job at 22 and I was coming home from work every day exhausted, ended up being in bed by 7 before getting up at 7 again the next morning but after a while I adjusted and it became easier.
You could set yourself some minor improvement goals if that helps, one specific small thing you need to improve on and work out how you can do it, that way the goal is achievable. I'm currently learning to play golf and I'm not out there trying to play a course and go round on par, I won't get perfect straight away (and probably ever), but I'm practicing my swing, improving my putting, reading the green etc. That's being done with a professional but it's little things, a weeks lesson will focus on one small area, get that to where it needs to be and then set the next area. I've got from never having swing a club before to being able to comfortably hit a ball 150 yards with a 7 iron and land the ball in an area wide enough to be a fairway nine out of ten times in four weeks. On putting I've improved my make percentages by 20-50% depending on distance of the putt but that's all been by little things not large improvements.
That way you can set little goals like you want to focus on being able to compliment the child on a specific skill or thing that they are working on etc. that way it's achievable and you can hit the goals which is always a confidence booster in itself.
You started doing it, that's a big part of the battle, you're still doing it even though you're finding it difficult, that's an even bigger part, you're doing the hardest bit, the rest will get easier.