MAY 2020 E-NEWSLETTER

Dear Members,

Marriage and Family Therapists are so important to California's overall health. LMFTs outnumber all other licensed behavioral health therapy providers combined. Simply put, CAMFT members support Californian communities by treating so many people who need mental health services.

This month, we at CAMFT want to check in on you. How are you holding up? Think of my message this month as a time to pause, reflect, and take stock of how you're really doing.

It is easy in this new world to forget to take time to focus on our own needs. Because of physical distancing, our work lives and home lives suddenly overlap so much. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I've been working harder than I had been before the quarantine. This is especially true if you're taking care of young kids while trying to maintain a job or practice.

I hope you're doing what you can to take care of yourself. Even in this time of high stress and high fear, you still need to take care of yourself first; to make your health and well-being a priority. When you feel grounded and secure, then you can look for ways to care for your family and your communities.

What is working for you as a self-care strategy? Here are some practices that I've been using, as well as some ideas from CAMFT staff members, to manage our stress and promote self-care:

• Deep breathing
• Going outside for a walk in between sessions or work
• Increasing your heart rate through safe exercise via YouTube or streamed workouts
• Connecting virtually with friends and family
• Starting a gratitude journal listing 3 things for which you are grateful each day
• Practicing mindfulness while cooking, eating, or meditating
• Turning off the news, especially when it starts to stress you out
• Watching comedy and making time to laugh and have fun

Perhaps the most important self-care strategy is to give yourself compassion. It is so easy to compare yourself to people on social media who are exercising more, or cooking fancier food, or learning new skills. In this unprecedented time, it's especially important to forgive yourself and allow yourself to have your own unique experience. It's ok if you don't cook an Instagram-worthy meal! Do what you can to make it through the day, and congratulate yourself at day’s end.

I'm drawn to this mural I found exploring Chicago a few years ago, by my favorite street artist, @WRDSMTH. I hope each of you give it your very best every single day, knowing that your best might just be surviving on some days, and that’s ok. I hope you always give yourself compassion by not being so hard on yourself come nightfall. 

What's your favorite self-care strategy? We will post this photo on our social media channels. Please post your best quarantine self-care strategy with the hashtag #CAMFTselfcare so others can learn from you. 

Wishing you safety and health in this time of need,

Nabil El-Ghoroury, Ph.D., CAE
Executive Director
nel-ghoroury@camft.org | Twitter: @drnabil