The Self-Care - Community Care Connection

 Posted by Alison T. Brill, MPH, Community Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

“If we are going to survive, we must build communities of caring and connection.”
- Cecile Andrews

Self-care - the act of valuing and maintaining our emotional and physical health - is crucial to our well-being. In order to be healthy and at our best, we need to take care of ourselves. We can only be at our best, however, with the support and love of our community. Self-care and community care are deeply connected, and we need both for healthy and resilient communities. Who are we if not in relation to one another? If one of us is unwell or struggling, we can't be strong as a community.

Taking care of others takes our mind off of our troubles and also makes us feel good - a main benefit of self-care - because we are supporting someone else. By taking care of each and every person in the community, with the knowledge and understanding that we all experience times of vulnerability, a shared sense of responsibility is created. This responsibility creates a safer environment with less judgment and more acceptance, which in turn promotes individual and community healing and resilience.

 

 

 

 

Below are some examples of community care in action.  Please share your ideas in the comments section.

• Investing in relationships.
• Greeting people on the street.
• Reaching out to friends and community members who are struggling.
• Hosting a regular gathering like a potluck or game night so people can meet face to face, build relationships, and strengthen community.
• Lending a hand to someone in need (e.g., giving someone a ride to the store or doctor, watching someone's kids when they are in a bind, cooking a meal for someone who just got out of the hospital or had a baby). 
• Getting to know your neighbors. You live right next to them and share a street, neighborhood, and possibly a building after all.  
• Helping connect people who are out of work to jobs. Jobs strengthen individuals, families and communities. 
• Donating or organizing donations for community members who have experienced a crisis.
• Getting involved by volunteering.
• Sharing what you have. When we act from a place of abundance rather than scarcity, we create a culture of caring and one in which everyone's needs can be met.

In today’s self-focused society, community care is a radical act. Remember that it takes a village to raise, build, and strengthen individuals and a community. Let's commit to taking care of ourselves and each other.

 

Comments

[Kristine]

There are so many times people want to make the effort to make a difference but something prevents them from doing so. I have never run into these issues but I guess have found it harder in neighborhoods I have lived in. I can easily give a person on the street food leftovers or go volunteer w/ groups to help but it shouldn't be so hard for people to find time to do so. Some people just don't care or are indifferent which I find sad. What's worse is how people assist others during the holidays & then forget about the rest of the year.

[Alison Brill]

Hi Jen,

Thank you for posting these great resources for community and self-care!

Best,
Alison

[Jen]

This isn't really a community-building thing but the free Boston Metro paper just listed its "Best of 2012: Health and Beauty" locations. Great list of yoga & dance studios, spas, and beauty salons.

[Jen]

I'm so glad you posted this today because I just found Ann Curry's #26Acts idea to do 26 random acts of kindness in honor of the Sandy Hook victims, and it's the only thing that will make me feel better after having a tough couple of weeks. A somewhat selfish -- or self-care? -- reason to do a nice thing! https://twitter.com/AnnCurry