by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
My final weblog submit was about quitting and its essential function in self-care. However, generally, as an alternative of quitting one thing altogether, we have to pause for a time frame to mirror, recharge, revise, re-vision, relaxation, re-set, re-re no matter must be “re”ed. 😊
Pausing to RE-ing within the New Yr!
As I assess my 2022 commitments and anticipate a brand new yr, I’ve determined to pause writing new posts for this weblog till January, 2023. My expertise in academia taught me the worth of sabbaticals—an prolonged pause from routine. As a part of my self-care dedication, I took each sabbatical out there. These instances had been powerfully reflective, refreshing, and productive. Within the pause from routine, I might give attention to explicit initiatives, skilled growth, and private priorities that stored getting put apart in additional quick calls for. After sabbatical, I returned to my routine extra grounded and re-energized.
On this pause, I’m recalibrating some commitments to give attention to explicit initiatives/commitments that maintain getting uncared for. Additionally, I’m planning a Studying Retreat. Studying is a favourite self-care follow for me. I’ve a protracted checklist and burgeoning stack of TBR (To Be Learn). And, I’ve been gathering books that may particularly inform and deepen my pause.
Lastly, I plan to take a brief pause from social media and be off-line for a short, designated hiatus. As a part of my self-care, I benefit from the connection of social media. I’m grateful for the power to remain in contact with folks I’ve met in my travels or in several life phases. Nevertheless, after intense political engagement this election season and different elements, a pause will likely be a very good relaxation and re-set.
Helpful Sources for Sustaining Self-Care
In the meantime, I hope you continue to entry this weblog, as our shared discussion board with a repository of myriad assets to help sustained self-care. Since September 2016, this repository has amassed 140+ posts overlaying a variety of subjects. This endeavor is a labor of affection. Every time I write/co-author a submit or edit a visitor submit, I image YOU, the reader. It’s a caring connection. I attempt to offer accessible, substantive self-care that authentically engages the struggles, methods, and successes of our shared self-care journey. As a reader wrote me, after certainly one of my blogs resonated, “It’s such as you’re strolling together with us, reaching out to readers, holding our hand, and inspiring us to completely heal.”
The encouraging hand continues to be there if you want it. Want a reminder that self-care doesn’t always feel good? There’s a submit for that. Need assistance practicing self-care in the Brrrr Winter months? There’s a submit for that. Have to go back to basics? There’s a submit for that.
Unsure what you want, however simply feeling like your self-care wants a lift or a beginning place? Stroll by way of the weblog posts; attain out your hand. You’ll serendipitously discover what you want. Be impressed by the likes of Lizzo, Dolly, Mr. Rogers, or yourself! Study that celebration is a part of self-care. Be reminded that oftentimes our self-care must be good enough.
An Invitation for Parallel Pausing
As we proceed our shared self-care journeys, I invite you to think about what you want to pause. Possibly it’s a piece dedication or a private obligation. Possibly it’s realizing you don’t have the assets or ardour to proceed one thing on the similar degree at the moment. A pal just lately paused her church attendance, as she wanted to reassess her engagement. Possibly it’s one thing you do together with others—an accountability pact. Possibly it’s a pause for an prolonged timeframe or as a dedication to deliberately incorporate practising the pause as a day by day follow.
Let’s do some parallel pausing and meet again right here as we re-ing in 2023. This pause could pave the way in which for quitting, saying a definitive “No” to one thing. It might make clear a “not but” realization that now just isn’t the time for one thing. It might result in re-investing in one thing with renewed vigor and deeper insights about priorities and goal. I hope it evokes behavior adjustments that embody pausing as routine self-care. I sit up for re-uniting on this house as we maintain fingers and house on our #SelfCareMovement path.
Peace, Love, and Self-Care
Erlene
Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Accomplice in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC gives analysis, coaching, and session for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals. As a former school member and graduate program director, she and a small (however mighty!) group of colleagues applied an initiative to advertise self-care as a part of the social work training curriculum. Beforehand, she served in scientific and administrative roles. She has expertise with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and private! Likewise, as an educator, she noticed college students enter the sphere and rapidly burn out. As a devoted social employee, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to advertise self-care and wellness!
