One of my first assignments as a school social worker was at an elementary school in South L.A. In the first couple of months I hospitalized a student for suicidal ideation and behaviors (I was on campus until 9pm on a Valentine's Day Friday!) and advocated for services for a 5th grader with conduct disorder. The challenges and drain of day-to-day work drove me to a chiropractor where I met one of the most gifted healers in the form of a massage therapist. When she asked, "What brings you in?" I said, "It feels like I am wearing a leather outfit that is two sizes too small." She prescribed weekly massages to get me back into shape. I went dutifully every Friday after work and it was the most wonderful way to end the week and begin the weekend ($40 a week very well spent, in my opinion). I heard someone say that for real results, you need to do all three - chiropractor, massage and accupuncture - and I tend to agree. I would add that supplements are helpful, too - Omega-3s and all the B vitamins - they have done wonders for my mood and energy-level. Dr. Carl Bell*, an African-American psychiatrist who writes about how protective factors can promote resiliency and mediate the effects of trauma, advocates looking at the nutrition of children exposed to trauma, particularly those in foster and group home care. He recommends Omega-3s for brain development and mood regulation. Improved mood regulation equals improved foster placement stability.
*(These lecture notes courtesy of my friend, Jon Pettigrew, MSW)
This makes total sense because, we are not at our best when stressed. And yet, isn't this when it matters most, that is, how we choose to behave in our darkest hours? It follows that we need more good stuff in those moments for balance - good stuff like good nutrition, exercise, resources, protective factors, support, in order to equalize the demands and capacity equation.
In the Winter Quarter of 1998, I also enrolled in an art class taught by the L.A. Latino artist, Roberto Gutierrez, at Plaza de la Raza. It was, and still is, the best $50 I ever spent on nine weeks of art instruction and nurturing support. After work, every Monday, I showed up and worked on a charcoal drawing of my self-portrait. I have taken other classes from Roberto - watercolors, acrylics, assemblage, contour drawing, ink drawing, crayon resist, etc. My daughter attends with me now too. Roberto calls her a serious artist. Roberto is now my mentor and dear friend. His conversations and discussions in class were always so funny, positive, motivating and nurturing of his students, so I asked him one day, "How do you manage to be so positive and nurturing?" He told me about how he used public transportation and listened to positive visualization tapes during the trips. It was clear he was feeding himself good stuff because he was sharing good stuff with us. Good stuff in - good stuff out.
Self-care also includes taking care of ourselves financially. I have been saving for retirement, on and off, since I was 21 years old. In this line of work, or any for that matter, I suspect that after turning 55, it will be nice to have options rather than feel forced to continue working due to financial pressures. I think about what our bodies will have absorbed and stored by then - layered over the years in our line of work.
I guess my assertion is that every helping professional deserves a body healer, a creative outlet that puts you in a state of flow and retirement savings. Good nutrition and exercise are the foundation. Any tips, referrals and stories about what works for you?
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