“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” —Audre Lorde

I am often asked how I can continuously work to advance equity, inclusion, and justice while existing as a Black woman, a mother, and a wife whose identities are as vulnerable as they are powerful. In all honesty, I ask myself the same question from time to time, especially when I am exhausted, and the last few weeks have been just that. The answer for me is radical self-care. This concept, coined in the 1950s as a means for understanding post-traumatic stress, spread to the civil rights movement and remains a fundamental strategy for avoiding burnout.

Radical self-care is steeped in the awareness that in order to survive, certain boundaries and practices must exist, and that we cannot wait for permission to cry, rest, grieve, or even to exist. Fighting for your own humanity is exhausting and failure to practice consistent self-care only increases your vulnerability. Individuals impacted by and fighting against anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, and anti-Asian racism, as well as anti-LGBTQIA hate must leverage every opportunity for rest, joy, community, and for sacred space. Our very survival is contingent upon our willingness and ability to care for ourselves deeply.

If this resonates with your experience, I’d like to offer some simple but meaningful practices and I invite you to make time for at least one each day this week. 

1. Create screen time limits for social media apps and stick to them!
2. Purge your timeline and unfollow or snooze negativity. Understanding challenging perspectives can provide insight AND do harm.
3. Get some sun and fresh air. Being in nature helps us to feel grounded.
4. Review and, when necessary, revise your schedule. Offer to reschedule or email updates and deliverables instead.
5. Grab a coloring book and revisit your childhood.
6. Take a nap. Never underestimate the value of a power nap!
7. Ask yourself, “What do I need?” And when you come up with answers, honor them by advocating for yourself. (e.g. “I need to take the day off.”)
8. Last, but not least, SLEEP. Rest is not a reward.

Self-care is a permission slip giving you all access to that which feeds your spirit, preserves your body, and keeps you whole. I hope that you will commit to caring for yourself and helping your siblings to do the same. To learn more about this concept, watch this video on YouTube.

Shayla Herndon-Edmunds
Inclusion Strategist

I have been thinking a great deal about balance in recent weeks. I have a friend whose young adult daughter is battling cancer for a third time, and a large number of us have joined together for a Facebook group during the month of April to plank each day as a means of solidarity with this young woman. The exercise of planking was chosen because it is about learning to balance and building a strong core. If the core of who we are is strong, we are more likely to be able to balance.

As we finish a school year that has been unlike any other, balance seems so elusive for most of us. We are overwhelmed with work, personal concerns, family commitments, and dreams that have been put on hold. The idea of balancing our bodies, minds, and spirits in the midst of balancing school, work, exercise, healthy eating, families, and friends just seems beyond our imagination. It appears an unattainable goal.

I have learned something during this month focused on planking. The trainer who is posting videos with planking tips each day said something that really spoke to me. She said maintaining and increasing our balance through planking does not mean we are still as a statue. Balance is always a readjustment, a movement, an action. Our bodies and muscles are interacting and engaging, even in the very slightest ways, as we focus on our balance and increasing the strength of our core. We never “achieve” balance—it is always a dance, and some days it is easier than others.

The core of who we are—our spirit, our soul, the ground of our being—is strongest when we focus on the dance of balance each day. Some days will be better than others, and that’s okay. The awareness of this dance, and spending a few moments each day in practice, is what strengthens the most important part of who we are. I wish for each one of you days where the dance of balance is easier and more joyful than before.

Rev. Amy Rio
Chaplain

To all of my Salem Siblings,

Keep pushing! You are almost to the finish line! Whether your finish line may be the end of the semester or graduation, you’re almost there!

This school year, being the first full year in this new virtual world, has been one crazy roller coaster ride. Although it may not seem like it, the positives are there. This year we have learned so much, whether it’s to adapt to unpredictable changes or to appreciate the little things in life.

You can read Brianne’s full article on the Salem Spirits website.