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
Joyful Earth Day! Acknowledged as the most important secular observance on the planet, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Celebrated on April 22, it’s designated as a “day of motion to alter human habits and create international, nationwide, and native change.” Earth Day focuses on stopping the desecration of the planet and selling love for Mom Earth.
You may be shocked to see the subject of planetary well-being on a weblog targeted on self-care. But, Earth Day is a perfect event to speak concerning the inextricable and vital connection between self-care and planetary care.
Self, Others, and the Planet
Connection is without doubt one of the most important common points of self-care. Conceptualizing self-care as solely about remoted, singular, individualistic is a dangerous misrepresentation. At its core, self-care is about flourishing as a full human. Being totally human consists of connection—definitely to oneself and connection to relationships, group, function, and, sure, planet.
More and more, the connections between attending to our particular person well-being and addressing local weather change are being acknowledged. As an illustration, Meredith C. Powers and Sandra Engstrom emphasize the necessity for social work to interact in addressing the worldwide local weather disaster, with its accompanying social, financial, and environmental justice implications. They describe the actual results of this work—resembling eco-grief and climate anxiety—and emphasize the necessity to make self-care an integral facet of those efforts.
Equally, Anouchka Grose is a psychotherapist and environmental activist who writes concerning the escalating phenomenon of eco-anxiety, which stems from individuals’s acute consciousness of the local weather change disaster. In A Guide to Eco-Anxiety—How to Protect the Planet and Your Mental Health, Grose underscores that eco-anxiety and associated phenomena, resembling pre-traumatic stress (i.e., anticipatory traumatization by future occasions), are cheap responses to actual threats. She emphasizes, “Take care of your self, others, and the planet. All three, equally. You gained’t be capable of do the final two should you don’t do the primary one. It’s not egocentric, it is form” (p. 176).
Seasons, Savoring, and Symbiosis
In a symbiotic style, we should take care of ourselves as a part of caring for the planet and, mutually, our take care of the planet nurtures us. Connection to nature is a robust type of self-care. Paying attention to seasonal self-care is an efficient method to deepen our self-care. As an illustration, as I wrote beforehand, Spring is a time to Savor, Plan(t), Reinforce, and add your ing.
Japan celebrates 72 micro-seasons—five-day segments savoring nature’s delicate adjustments. As an addition to my ongoing methods for integrating self-care, I’m utilizing a calendar that demarcates these micro-seasons. I’m intentional about participating with nature as a part of my self-care. Studying about these micro-seasons is an intriguing method to improve this dedication.
While the Japanese calendar could not match completely with my Kentucky surroundings, I enjoyment of scripting this piece throughout “First Rainbows” micro-season. Earth Day happens throughout “First Reeds Sprout” season. This consideration to particulars of the Earth’s adjustments reminds of the intricacies of pure life and the necessity to attend to and savor our personal micro-seasons.
Poetry, Planets, and Private
Micro-attention to meta-phenomena reinforces our interconnectedness. Breath is maybe probably the most encompassing, important expression of this wholistic interconnectedness. I contend that breath is an apt metaphor of self-care.
Kim Crum expressively conveyed in her earlier April Poetry Month weblog publish how poetry connects us to our breath, which is inherently related with broader creation. Persevering with Kim’s invitation to poetry as self-care, fold poetry into your Earth Day celebration. As Jane Yolen writes:
I’m the Earth
And the Earth is me.
This connection between self-care and world well-being can appear difficult—and, certainly, is complicated in some ways. As an alternative of being overwhelmed by this complexity, it’s useful to return to the fundamentals. In his fantastically illustrated and enjoyable kids’s ebook, Love the World, Todd Parr rhymes, “Love the bees. Love the bushes. Love giving a hand. Love taking a stand. Love your self. Love the world.” After we love the planet—and all that dwells therein—that features our selves. These points will not be mutually unique; they’re inextricably expansive.
Joyful Earth Day! Joyful Poetry Month! Joyful First Reeds Sprout Season! Let’s have fun interconnectedness! Plant a tree. Breathe a poem. Love your self.
Peace, Love, & 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 college 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 schooling curriculum. Beforehand, she served in medical 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 sector and shortly 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!
