Photo credit: BigStockPhoto/melonee
Earth Day April 22
by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
Happy Earth Day! Recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Celebrated on April 22, it’s designated as a “day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local change.” Earth Day focuses on stopping the desecration of the planet and promoting love for Mother Earth.
You might be surprised to see the topic of planetary well-being on a blog focused on self-care. Yet, Earth Day is an ideal occasion to talk about the inextricable and important connection between self-care and planetary care.
Self, Others, and the Planet
Connection is one of the most essential universal aspects of self-care. Conceptualizing self-care as only about isolated, singular, individualistic is a harmful misrepresentation. At its core, self-care is about flourishing as a full human. Being fully human includes connection—certainly to oneself and connection to relationships, community, purpose, and, yes, planet.
Increasingly, the connections between attending to our individual well-being and addressing climate change are being recognized. For instance, Meredith C. Powers and Sandra Engstrom emphasize the need for social work to engage in addressing the global climate crisis, with its accompanying social, economic, and environmental justice implications. They describe the particular effects of this work—such as eco-grief and climate anxiety—and emphasize the need to make self-care an integral aspect of these efforts.
Similarly, Anouchka Grose is a psychotherapist and environmental activist who writes about the escalating phenomenon of eco-anxiety, which stems from people’s acute awareness of the climate change crisis. In A Guide to Eco-Anxiety—How to Protect the Planet and Your Mental Health, Grose underscores that eco-anxiety and related phenomena, such as pre-traumatic stress (i.e., anticipatory traumatization by future events), are reasonable responses to real threats. She emphasizes, “Look after yourself, others, and the planet. All three, equally. You won’t be able to do the last two if you don’t do the first one. It’s not selfish, it's kind” (p. 176).
Seasons, Savoring, and Symbiosis
In a symbiotic fashion, we must care for ourselves as part of caring for the planet and, mutually, our care for the planet nurtures us. Connection to nature is a powerful form of self-care. Being attentive to seasonal self-care is an effective way to deepen our self-care. For instance, as I wrote previously, Spring is a time to Savor, Plan(t), Reinforce, and add your ing.
Japan celebrates 72 micro-seasons—five-day segments savoring nature’s subtle changes. As an addition to my ongoing strategies for integrating self-care, I’m using a calendar that demarcates these micro-seasons. I’m intentional about engaging with nature as part of my self-care. Learning about these micro-seasons is an intriguing way to enhance this commitment.
Whilst the Japanese calendar may not match perfectly with my Kentucky environment, I delight in writing this piece during “First Rainbows” micro-season. Earth Day occurs during “First Reeds Sprout” season. This attention to details of the Earth’s changes reminds of the intricacies of natural life and the need to attend to and savor our own micro-seasons.
Poetry, Planets, and Personal
Micro-attention to meta-phenomena reinforces our interconnectedness. Breath is perhaps the most encompassing, essential expression of this wholistic interconnectedness. I contend that breath is an apt metaphor of self-care.
Kim Crum expressively conveyed in her previous April Poetry Month blog post how poetry connects us to our breath, which is inherently connected with broader creation. Continuing Kim’s invitation to poetry as self-care, fold poetry into your Earth Day celebration. As Jane Yolen writes:
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
This connection between self-care and world well-being can seem complicated—and, indeed, is complex in many ways. Instead of being overwhelmed by this complexity, it’s helpful to return to the basics. In his beautifully illustrated and fun children’s book, Love the World, Todd Parr rhymes, “Love the bees. Love the trees. Love giving a hand. Love taking a stand. Love yourself. Love the world.” When we love the planet—and all that dwells therein—that includes our selves. These aspects are not mutually exclusive; they are inextricably expansive.
Happy Earth Day! Happy Poetry Month! Happy First Reeds Sprout Season! Let’s celebrate interconnectedness! Plant a tree. Breathe a poem. Love yourself.
Peace, Love, & Self-Care,
Erlene
Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Partner in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC provides evaluation, training, and consultation for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals. As a former faculty member and graduate program director, she and a small (but mighty!) group of colleagues implemented an initiative to promote self-care as part of the social work education curriculum. Previously, she served in clinical and administrative roles. She has experience with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and personal! Likewise, as an educator, she saw students enter the field and quickly burn out. As a dedicated social worker, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to promote self-care and wellness!