Self Care Aware

In my time as a social scientist the subject of self care has resurfaced over and over again. I would say its become an even more intense topic as I am leading a team of social scientists during a pandemic. How can we all function and maintain our composure while running meetings from our bed, or car, or patio, or walk in closet? How can I be alone, like....ever?
It would seem the only way to really be available to others is if we are running on a full tank. I am still trying to sort out the whole full tank thing. What I can tell you is, you certainly have to get more creative! Creative to navigate the land mine of increased time with loved ones, the news, the heated political climate, and the lack of activity that was a fantastic escape.
There seemed to be a lot of well meaning people emerge and resource find during the pandemic. They made lists of how to occupy children at home. There were education sites, field trips, and museum visits. I could imagine the curator of the list feeling better for a moment about being positive through all this. So how about a dual income household where both parents are teleconferencing and the kids can't figure out their common core math. Someday we'll look back and be amazed that any of us survived.
Focusing on self care started to require far more effort than ever. It became another task on the endless list instead of something organic. Mainly because of the roadblocks employed to give everyone safety during what we were told was a rampant infectious, deadly virus. A virus that quite a lot of us had no actual contact with or have known anyone that caught it. So to those, it was surreal, it was never actually tangible in the first place. While the other side, the side that lived through it or sadly buried a loved one over it, are wondering what the hell is wrong with the others. These widely swinging perspectives are precisely how we are becoming divided. If we don't start filling our personal tanks back up we will destroy each other.
Self care is not a new concept, it is the pathway to functioning in crisis. I have seen wide varying degrees and activities associated with self care. I hope that anyone who is reading this can find the space to take care of their mind. I can say for me self care is not found in consuming the news or reading about anything polarizing. It is about connecting with people I love and value.