Dear COE community,
I recently read an article that reminded me of why it is so important to engage in self-care, especially as we face these challenging times of a pandemic and racism in America. The author Shelley Tygielski of this article entitled, “The Five Rules of Self-care” in the journal Mindful, assets “Being whole and meeting our own emotional and physical needs first is the only way we will build the world we want to see in the future.” The author goes on to state, “Self-care is essential. It’s human work we all need. Not just the activists among us, but every one of us who’s been paying attention for the last few years and watching our communities come apart.” As rule number one, she indicates “The word ‘self’ has a negative connotation in this context because it seems to be only about the individual. But we need to expand our view of the self beyond the individual to include everyone we touch: our families, our communities, the whole of the natural world. When we practice self-care, we hone our interactions with everything around us: we protect the world around us. Imagine the powerful transformation that would happen if everyone took care in this way. Self-care is not a virtue. It’s the means by which you make your work consistent with what you want to create in this world.” The entire article can be seen at https://www.mindful.org/the-five-rules-for-self-care-in-politically-charged-times/
Please continue to look at our self-care website for additional resources at https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
May there be a time when everyone can feel equally safe and cared for in this world.
Shari and Josh