From the Chair: Slow Down and Take Care

Self-care is a topic that is important within our field of school counseling and one that requires action. When I first began to write on this topic, I had planned to write something we are familiar with: the importance of building a school counselor self-care plan for the summer months so we might be prepared to meet the challenges of a new year. Now, as I write this, it is during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and care for self has a different meaning. We are facing a reality within our professional and personal lives that was unimaginable two months ago. One thing I know is, whether prior to this crisis or now, counselor self-care requires us to be selfish in taking care of our own needs – physically, socially and mentally – for us to become selfless in caring for others. 

Self-care is a priority and necessity, not a luxury. I am optimistic that when we get to the other side of this pandemic, our lives in this field that we have a privilege to work within will only be enhanced. One thing I have learned through all of this is to just slow down. I have seen many of my friends and families post their current family calendars for the next month and they are just empty. Prior to this they were filled with ball games, recitals and other events that had us running from one destination to the next. On top of the family activities were the many professional responsibilities that our job commands. Our lives have been consumed with just filling in blank spaces. Because of the pace of life now, my calendar, too, looks a lot different. My calendar is now filled with my daily walk within my neighborhood. Lately, this has been twice a day. Phone and video calls to family become a priority. Reading, playing games and new learning that I didn’t have time to do before now rise to the top of my activities. In many ways, I believe I am becoming better equipped to provide care for others because of the way I am having to care for myself now. 

Ask yourself daily, what is one thing I can do to care for myself? Make the phone calls, take the walk, learn something new or just sit still and listen to you. Fill in the blank spaces on your calendar with ways you will practice self-care today, next month and this summer. Rely on your professional and personal support systems to re-energize and to learn from what works for them, too. It is inevitable that we will have days filled with stress but as those days come, you can rely on the self-care strategies you have planned. The MSCA board is offering some self-care ideas in this newsletter. We hope you will practice self-care and stay well!
 
Contact Matt Berry, chair of the Board of Directors, Missouri School Counselor Association, at onewildcounselor@gmail.com.