Self-Care:A “Comic” Approachto a Serious Matter

Jen Miller, Director, WELLStacey Grady, Mental Health Educator,

WELL

Just as peer students offer support to others, they need to find it for themselves….

“Telling Tails”What are

somethings you doto maintain

wellness as apeer

educator?

What campus

resources have

you utilized to

help maintain

wellness?

Identify various

types of support/

wellness (i.e. emotional,

social, etc.).

A video on stress…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38srxvt6qE

Self Care, Setting Boundaries, and Referral

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify your support

needs.

2. Request support.

3. Establish a culture

that promotes self-

care.

4. Set limits.

What is support?

The Oxford dictionarydescribes support as: carryweight of, prop up, keep fromfalling or sinking, enable tolast out, give strength to,encourage, endure, supplywith necessaries, lendassistance to, back up,encourage.

Interpretations of Support

· emotional support· physical and practical support· financial support· professional development· task-focused problem-solving

support· community support· social support

What do we mean by self care?1

• Self-care is a part of daily living• It is the care taken by

individuals towards their own health and well-being

• It includes the care extended to

their children, family, friends and others in neighbourhoods and local communities

• Most care in life is self-care

1. Department of Health (2005). Self Care – A Real Choice: Self Care Support – A Practical Option. London: Department of Health.

Self care includes...

• …maintaining good physical and mental health

• …meeting both social and psychological needs

• …preventing illness or accidents• …caring for minor ailments

and long-term conditions• …maintaining health and well-

being

1. Department of Health (2005). Self Care – A Real Choice: Self Care Support – A Practical Option. London: Department of Health.

Let’s Talk About

Stress…

Stress:

Outside W

orld

Individual

Assumption:Stress is Bad

!!!!!!

BBelief

AAntecedent

CConsequence

95% of what we worry about…

has less than a 1% likelihood of ever occurring

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t --you’re right.”

Henry Ford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk

CRITICAL TO SELF CARE:

ASK for support

EXPECT to need and receive support

ACCEPT support offered

“Many people believe that support is something that you give to someone you feel sorry for or that it means propping up someone who would fail unless you were there to give him a boost. But that's not the way I see it. Support is the boost you can give someone who can help himself but who needs a partner to open a window or push aside a roadblock.” Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's

Support and Advocacy Includes:· work in partnership· listen and communicate· empower individuals· consider options for resolution· create independence through empowering · identify accountability and responsibility

Offering support does not include:

• Letting responsibilities and commitments suffer to help another

• Taking responsibility for the actions of another

• Judgments• Taking things personally• Working outside scope of REACH

Know Your Resources

Student Affairs Case Manager381 Highlander Union Building951-827-9354 sarah.pemberton@ucr.edu The WELL248 Highlander Union Building951-827-9355 (UCR-WELL)www.well.ucr.edu Counseling CenterVeitch Student Center951-827-5532www.counseling.ucr.edu Campus Health CenterVeitch Student Center951-827-3031www.campushealth.ucr.edu

..many, many more…

• Talk about stress?• Debrief after

programs?• Know that

“StressBusters” can come to your meetings

• Have fun!

Does your group..

Self Care Includes Setting Boundaries

Defining… - Line or set of parameters which indicates

the limits of an area or territory. Boundaries are self-created limits for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a health sense of separateness from others. These boundaries offer protection, recognition and a sound sense of self.

- A balance between safety and objectivity, and between care and distance.

(Salvo, 1999)

More on boundaries…• Essential leadership skill

• Many ways for people to trample on your boundaries

• Not enforcing boundaries causes:1. Decreased productivity2. Wasted time and efforts3. Unnecessary drama4. Increased stress5. Negativity

Ways to appropriately assert boundaries:

• Be upfront about your role • Don’t ever promise to keep a

secret• Don’t begin to do things outside of

your role• Don’t bend the rules or make

exceptions• Don’t let anyone “guilt trip” you• Make statements about your

abilities

SCENARIO:You, as peer educator, are at a suicide awareness event.Close to the end of the event another UCR student comesup and asks to talk you privately about his own personalexperience with suicidal thoughts.

…What is your emotional reaction?…How does your body respond?…What are your first thoughts?…Right away there is an opportunity to start thinking about boundaries

Summary:Keys to Maintaining Wellness and Self-Care

• Identify your support needs.

• Request support.

• Establish a culture that promotes self-care.

• Set limits.

Questions?