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Mental Health Matters
The essential roles of SELF-CARE and COMPASSION
Self-care
This month we are focusing on self-care with key strategies for fostering resilience and cultivating compassion, not only for self, but for others as well. Self-care gets a fluffy, frivolous rap but in fact is an essential component for maintaining healthy mental wellness. Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to our true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.”
― Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
Within this newsletter we will share a self-care self-assessment, if you’re curious to see where your current practices need to be strengthened or supported. In addition, we have shared a self-care planning tool to assist you in identifying areas of strength and growth related to self-care and developing self-care plans.
Consequences of not practicing self-care:
Low energy
Feeling hopeless
Less patience
Increased headaches, stomach aches, and other physical symptoms of stress
Difficulty falling and staying asleep
Challenges in choosing healthy food and urges to eat “comfort” foods
Worsening mental health symptoms like depression or anxiety
Feeling “burnout”
Difficulty concentrating
Strain or distancing in relationships with others
Less patience with others
Reduced performance at work/school
Less motivation to engage in social activities
Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care Self-Assessment and Planning Tool
Self-care ideas:
Make a gratitude list
Listen to upbeat or relaxing music
Take five minutes to sit down and put your feet up
Take a long shower or bath
Go for a walk or jog
Listen to a meditation (“Insight Timer”, "Calm", "Headspace" are apps for meditations)
Check out The Chill Room @ WesTech website (see below)
Enjoy a hot cup of tea
Spend five minutes taking deep breaths
Get a manicure or pedicure or give yourself one
Turn your phone off for 30 minutes
Participate in a yoga class
Do any form of physical fitness: play sports, swim, dance, run, take a workout class, lift weights, jump rope, etc.
Light a fragrant candle
Write in a journal for five minutes
Read a book for 20 minutes
Go to bed 15 minutes early
Unfollow someone on social media who is negative or makes you feel badly
Now time to create your self-care action-plan......
If you are feeling overwhelmed in thinking about how to make changes to better prioritize your own self-care, help is available. Especially if you are struggling with mental health concerns, it can be really hard to find the energy or motivation to start making changes to better ourselves. Seeing a therapist can help you break down your goals into easier, achievable steps, and support you in this goal of making yourself a priority. See the community supports below OR connect with a support person AT SCHOOL to help you get started! You can also check out the CHILL ROOM website with videos, links, and more!
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS:
SCIP (Screening and Crisis Intervention Program)
@ Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County
218 Sunset Road, Willingboro, NJ 08046
(609) 261-8000
1-877-652-7624 (24 hours a day/7 days a week)
https://oaksintcare.org/services/child-and-family-services/child-adult-family-counseling-services/
https://www.centerffs.org/our-services/counseling-behavioral-health
Family Support Organization of Burlington County
ONLINE SUPPORTS:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
NJ Youth Helplines
1-800-273-8255
Text or call: 1-888-222-2228
NJ Suicide Prevention Hope line
1-855-654-6735
Text HOME to 741741
For more resources, visit the SAC website
https://sites.google.com/burlcoschools.org/westechsacservices-cech/home
WESTECH SUPPORTS:
Mr. Fitzgerald, School Counselor (A-F) sfitzgerald@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Johnson, School Counselor (Cru_Har) bjohnson@burlcoschools.org
Mr. Frable, School Counselor (Has-McC) jfrable@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Digney, School Counselor (McD-Ris) kdigney@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Sabatino, School Counselor (Rit-T) msabatino@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Daily, School Counselor (Wa-Z) jdaily@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Cech, Student Assistance Counselor ccech@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Artz, Learning Consultant, bartz@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Christian, School Social Worker, mchristian@burlcoschools.org
Dr. Clayton, School Psychologist, jclayton@burlcoschools.org
Officer Moran, Student Resource Officer ment@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Fowler, School Nurse hfowler@burlcoschools.org