Practicing self care and avoiding burnout in the time of Covid
- Normal every day stressors don't stop, then COVID thrown on top is a lot
- Freelancers, consultants struggling financially because of budget cuts, etc.
- Non-profit and other orgs looking at their budgets and having to make cuts
- Planning has been difficult or impossible for everyone
- Any future thinking/planning feels really difficult, including for ppl who's job it is to do that stuff
How to heal and get out from burnout?
The shift to online has enabled a lot of formerly local orgs to be more national/international, but the local connection feels like it's missing
Working from home with other people (partners, family, kids) is really difficult and exhausting - kids especially change a lot
Missing structure - "dive into the darkened pool" - maybe not the deepest swan dive, how to protect yourself - is the pool even there?
moving from where small things are manageable to small things being overwhelming +1
- "good enough is good enough" - can be hard to hold that imperfection
- keeping things going has to be enough - and to be able to accept that truth/reality
- https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html
- https://www.compasspoint.org/blog/pushing-back-against-habits-white-supremacy-during-crisis
How can we do the work of meeting this time, dismantling white supremecy culture in a spirit of self care and mutual aid?
Dialog is getting deeper, more real and transparent.
What are we doing to try to take care of ourselves? What's working? What's not working?
- taking time off
- taking a tech break
- get off zoom sometimes!
This is a learning and healing community for coaches/healer types: https://www.bloomingwillow.com/dandelion
Sonya Renee Taylor - The Body Is Not An Apology
How do we heal when at the edge of or fully in your burnout?
It's ok to go slow! take a break, do less! FEEL JOY!
How do we get joy from the enoughness? Simple pleasures, simple resistance.
Routine can be really helpful, given lack of structure right now.
Remember the Parable of the Choir: https://twitter.com/hungover_the/status/1217268335638990848
Need structure and regularity, but hold is loosely enough given the uncertaintity of everything, because when it gets disrupted it makes it much harder
Important to go slow, going fast is in opposition to inclusivity - benefits everyone
Making space for ourselves is important - drop a class, take time off, quit the job (if you can)
Going slow
- get more clarity, space to reflect and be present and think
- resistance against white supremacy and capitalism, and this culture where we're a product that produces and that's tied to our worth
- healing - doing something with no ROI can be a form of meditation (like painting, coloring, puzzles, etc.)
Easy to be resistant to rest, think you don't have time, etc., but resisting and healing is critical for the long haul
Let this time transform you, transform us together.