At this point in September, almost all school districts and colleges and universities have gone back to school. The world is a state of resetting and intention making for a new school year. During September SARCC also attempts to reset and refocus our intentions on a daily practice of self-care. Taking care of oneself is not selfish, rather it is an essential component of being a whole and well person.
This is especially true for survivors of sexual assault, abuse, harassment, and human trafficking. For this reason, each year in September, we present a SELFEMTBER calendar of daily self-care challenges to get you started on your intentional journey towards wellness and healing.
These small, powerful reminders to engage in a process of self compassion and kindness can make all the difference in managing the hard things, obstacles that we face, and challenging situations that we need to navigate. For example, on September 2, we took the time to notice the small things that we do well. Today, we make the commitment to forgive ourselves when things go wrong or do not go as planned.
Some self-care strategies are entirely internal. They are a commitment to taking the time to notice what you are thinking and feeling. At the same time you can recognize that thoughts and feelings are not binding. We can think through them, search for alternative explanations, or check ourselves before we submit to harmful or critical inner voices.
At other times, self-care strategies are external. It is about the choices and decisions that we make to engage with our outside world, take care of our basic needs, or move our bodies. For example, next week those joining us on the SELFTEMBER journey will take the time to go outside and enjoy nature. There are days later in the month, when the self-care challenge is about finding ways to move your body, which helps to release stress.
It’s also important to remember that self-care looks different for each person and at different points in our lives. What may have worked for self-care in the past could change today or in the future. Allowing yourself the opportunity to change and grow in self-care strategies only adds options to your toolbox for healing. If you find that finding ways to engage in self-care feels impossible, know that you are not alone.
It is always an option to connect with another person that you trust or a helping professional like advocates at SARCC to explore options and opportunities to take care of yourself and healthy, effective, and meaningful ways remember that you can connect with an advocate 24 hours a day by calling our hotline at 570-628-2965 or 717-272-5308. Finally, remember that at times it can be harder to take care of yourself than it is to take care of the people around you. It’s especially in those times that it is important to remind yourself that you two are worthy of care.
