Angela Yee (she/her) reflects on wellbeing on the frontline and how working in a supportive environment benefits working through stressful situations

As IDP continues to build on our wellbeing awareness, we recognise the significance of supporting our frontline people and listening to their stories. Our Student Placement offices meet students in real life on a daily basis and our Education Counsellors are the face of IDP for students. While they thrive on human interaction and the sense of purpose in placing a student into a life-changing education experience, they can also be exposed to the stress of a student’s life away from home.

Angela is a Senior Education Counsellor in our Perth office, supporting students to reach their education dreams. She describes her experiences and how she maintains her own wellbeing.

“In my role I see many students – face-to-face and online. As a counsellor my job is to support students in finding the best course and institution for them. Sometimes the students have some life challenges and the best thing we can do for them is listen. I feel for the students – they are away from home, and they can feel alone and have some mental health concerns. It’s especially hard when they have things going on at home. I always encourage them to get some help and talk to a counsellor at the university. But it impacts us because we can’t do much to help them.

Some students can be driven by migration potential, but that pathway of study options might not be the best education match for them. I try my best to give them options, so they consider their personal needs, the institution’s requirements, and the expertise that IDP brings. It can be difficult at times. When we see people face-to-face there is a different feeling than online. We get to see and feel body language and it’s a different atmosphere to pick up on emotions.

Fortunately, we do not get too many emotional people. However, there are times when we can get upset or angry people. I understand that situations with institutions are sometimes difficult for students to navigate. I try to help them negotiate with the stakeholders that are making decisions, but ultimately neither I nor IDP can fix the problem. We can all provide personal support and business knowledge but not actually remove the problem.

When I am faced with these difficult situations, I talk with my colleagues for support. It’s very useful to vent on the day, and not carry the load into the next day. Laughter helps, as does talking things through – this helps me to move on and not brood on the situation.

If an incident occurs, I do aim to let my team know, so they are aware of the situation and so they can learn from it for their own growth. The team huddle is a great opportunity to do that in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Outside of work I really enjoy cooking. I have lots of hobbies like paper craft and crochet. These hobbies bring me quiet time where I can concentrate on myself. They keep my mind active, thinking about the design, and help me keep calm. When I’m doing my crafts, I’m doing and not thinking. I also really enjoy gardening on the weekend. It’s such a pleasure when I see the plants grow.

It’s important to keep the balance in my life and I truly enjoy what I do and get such a sense of satisfaction when I see a student thrive, knowing I’ve helped set them on the right path.

My advice to others around looking after their own wellbeing is to aim to remain calm in situations – so ask for help if there is a tricky situation. Give customers options to talk with another person and this may help to diffuse high emotions. It often helps to bring in a manager to calm a situation down. Always ask for help if there is something you don’t know.

Sometimes finding a balance in decisions can be stressful. I need to focus on what I can control and know that I am doing my best. I find having a supportive manager is very useful – I value that a lot.

My tips for lowering stress:

Talk to a colleague,

Get out of the office during lunch and go for a walk,

Definitely don’t eat lunch at your computer!

Find a hobby that you enjoy,

Ideally be in a job that brings enjoyment and satisfaction.”

Thank you, Angela, for sharing your experiences and tips on lowering stress and finding fulfilment in what we do in our work and hobbies! Our wellbeing is an important component of our lives, so let’s all aim to utilise our colleagues and personal interests to create a supportive and calming environment around us.

#ItsUpToMe to look out for my wellbeing, and the wellbeing of others to create a supportive and caring environment to flourish.