Dear College of Education Community,
One of the most important contributions to our wellbeing is our liberation from systems of harm that have perpetuated oppression and hate. Self-care is essential for all of us to not only survive but engage at our best as we confront and work to eradicate oppression and promote social justice. Dr. Samantha Stein, in a blog in Psychology Today, offers the following suggestions to “take care of ourselves in the face of oppression, prejudice, or hate.”
- Allow yourself to feel however you need to feel. It is crucial to let yourself feel all your feelings regardless of how painful they are. This is an important act of honoring yourself.
- Find trusted social support to share your feelings with. Many people may not understand what you're feeling. Find those who can.
- Make an appointment with a therapist to process the pain of current events. Having a safe space with a trusted person who is only there for you can be very helpful.
- Find and embrace your community by engaging in places, spaces, and people that are physically safe, familiar, and culturally congruent. This can help with feelings of isolation and fear.
- Challenge what's considered normal. Be yourself even when it goes against the grain.
- Focus on what you can do. If you focus on what you can't change, it leads to overwhelm and hopelessness. Putting your energy into what you can do leads to empowerment and hope.
To read more suggestions about dealing with self-care in the face of oppression, please see:
Self-Care in the Face of Oppression | Psychology Today
For a list of other self-care options, please see our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
Self-care is needed more than ever as we as we work to overcome oppression and hate in our world today.
Warmly,
Shari