S2 Ep 6. Navigating Post-Election Stress: A Word of Encouragement

A moment of rest and reflection. 

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Episode Transcript

Narrator (00:01):
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, zee Arnold, a15-year teacher turned UX
researcher, is here to guide,coach and mentor you through
every twist and turn as you makeyour career transition into
tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle

(00:23):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.

Coach Zee (00:43):
Hello teacher friends , welcome back to the UX Teacher
Prep Podcast.
Of course, I'm your host, zee.
Today's episode is a bitdifferent from our usual deep
dives into job hunting tips,portfolio building, etc.
Instead, I want to take amoment to address something I
know many of us are feelingright now a sense of uncertainty
, maybe even anxiety, about ourfutures, about your future as an

(01:06):
educator or transitioningteacher.
It's no secret that the pastfew years have been hard on
teachers.
You've been on the front linesduring a global pandemic.
You dealt with rapid changes inteaching methods, fought for
resources and advocated for yourstudents in a system that seems
to change at the drop of a dime, and advocated for your
students in a system that seemsto change at the drop of a dime.

(01:26):
And now, with the results ofthe 2024 election still fresh,
only a week ago, it's natural tofeel anxious about what this
means for our country and oureducation system, and I've been
watching the news and listeningon social media and a lot of
teachers are in a difficultheadspace right now.
So, whether you're stepping outof the classroom and into UX

(01:46):
research or UX role, or juststarting to consider a career
shift, I want you to take a deepbreath.
We're going to get through thistogether.
Look, no matter what party youvoted for, the truth is things
are going to change.
The policies and leaders we seecoming in will shape the next

(02:08):
few years, and it's likely goingto affect the education sector
in a big way.
Maybe you're feeling uncertainabout the future of public
education, nervous about newlaws or regulations, what you
can and can't teach to studentsin school, or even just
exhausted from the constantpolitical discourse.
Policies, leadership andpriorities are going to shift,

(02:30):
and a lot of teachers arewondering what this means for
public education, for our kidsand for the future of teaching.
I want you to know that it'sokay to feel all of that.
It's normal to be overwhelmedby the magnitude of it all, but
here's the thing this moment isalso a chance for you to take a
step back and reset.

(02:51):
If you're transitioning out ofthe classroom and into UX or any
other field, I want you torecognize that it's time to be
encouraged.
I want to encourage you to takesome time for yourself.
Right now.
It's easy to feel like you needto hit the ground running,
start networking, work on yourportfolio, find a job
immediately, before things getcrazy, but taking a moment to

(03:13):
breathe, reflect and processeverything that's happening is
just as important as updatingyour resume.
So maybe you're feeling a mixof emotions right now fear,
frustration, maybe even hope.
Whatever you're feeling, it'svalid.
As educators, we've been on thefront lines of so many changes
in recent years.
We've been the advocates, thefighters, the ones who have

(03:36):
stood up for our students timeand time again.
It is exhausting and it's okayto feel tired.
So, friends, today I want totake a moment to encourage you
to step back and take care ofyourself.
You've been giving so much toyour students, your community,
and now you need to give alittle bit back to yourself, and
we've talked about this beforeon this podcast.

(03:57):
Your mental health and yourphysical health should always
come first, and as you take thattime for yourself, remember
this it's okay to slow down,it's okay to take a pause.
Give yourself permission toprocess everything that's
happening around you.
The job search can wait a fewdays, or even a few weeks,
because your mental health isimportant, and taking time to

(04:18):
care for yourself now is aninvestment in your future
success.
Take a walk in your futuresuccess.
Take a walk, journal yourthoughts, pray, meditate
whatever helps you connect withyourself and recharge.
I know for many of us, faith isa big part of that healing
process, and it is for me.
My faith has given me strengthand hope in life.

(04:39):
So in times like these I leanon my faith the most.
It's been a constant source ofstrength for me.
So if you find comfort in ahigher power, lean into that.
It could be God, the universeor whatever spiritual connection
you hold dear.
Faith can be a guiding lightwhen everything else seems
chaotic, when everything feelslike it's out of place.

(04:59):
It reminds us that, no matterhow tough things get, there's a
plan and we're not going to gothrough this alone.
Even when we can't see the endof the tunnel, having that
anchor can help us find thestrength to move forward and to
keep going.
So you might be wondering what'snext for me, what does this
mean for my career?

(05:20):
And while I can't personallyanswer those questions for you,
I can tell you this the skillsthat you have honed as a teacher
your resilience, your empathyand your flexibility are exactly
what we need more of in UX andin the world overall.
It's true that the world ischanging, but do you know what
that means that means that thereare going to be new problems to

(05:43):
solve, new voices that need tobe heard and new opportunities
to make a difference inside andoutside of the classroom.
So if you're feeling lost orunsure, I encourage you to hold
on to your faith and your beliefin a brighter future.
We don't know what the next fewyears will look like, but we do
know that we have each otherand we have the strength that

(06:04):
we've built up from ourexperiences.
We teachers have battled toughtimes before and we will get
through this too.
Thank you for listening and ifthis episode resonated with you
or if you just need someone totalk to, feel free to reach out
to me on LinkedIn or Instagram.
I'm always here to support youin your journey and take care of
yourselves.

(06:25):
We'll talk again in the nextepisode.

Narrator (06:33):
Hey, thanks so much for tuning in.
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(06:53):
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Until next time, be well.