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Looking In: Prioritizing Your Self


As helping professionals, many of you have likely been scrambling to figure out how to best care for others, as well as yourselves. It is always important to take time to take care of yourself, but especially now more than ever, as we continue to forge ahead through these uncertain times. Self-care refers to the practice of taking action to preserve and improve one’s own health. Establishing and maintaining consistent self-care practices are vital to preventing negative health effects such as burnout, a common occurrence of mental health professionals.

SAMHSA has identified eight dimensions of wellness that impact optimal health: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social. To learn more, you may access the full guide Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness. By prioritizing self-care in one or more of these areas, you can ensure you are providing the best care possible because you are taking care of yourself first. Are you practicing self-care? Need some inspiration or new ideas? Then read on to learn about a few of the self-care practices utilized by the MFP community!

Eight dimensions of wellness: social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational

MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FELLOWS

Victoria Aguilar, MSW MFP-Traditional: Doctoral Fellow (2019-2020), Council on Social Work Education. Pursuing a Doctor of Social Work. Anticipated graduation 2021.

Victoria has been practicing self-care through various means. Physically, she has been exercising with HIIT, running, and weightlifting. Emotionally/mentally, she has been practicing yoga and meditation, as well as seeing a therapist. Spiritually, she is exploring indigenous religious rituals and practices. Socially, she has been seeing friends and family as much as possible. She has been practicing self-care for 1 to 5 years.

Thomas Annamma Udaya, MSN, MPH, post-Master's NP MFP-Traditional: Doctoral Fellow (2016-2021), American Nurses Association. Pursuing a Ph.D. in Nursing. Anticipated graduation Spring 2021.

Thomas’ self-care practices include practicing yoga once or twice daily, meditation or Pilates, once weekly swimming, and mindful eating practices (chewing slowly, not watching tv, and being with his food), a pescavegetarian diet, and writing gratitude letters weekly. He has been practicing for more than 10 years!

Alicia Demartra-Pressley, BA/BS MFP-Y: Master’s Fellow (2019-2020), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Pursuing a MaMFT and MDiv. Anticipated graduation Spring 2021.

Alicia practices self-care through mindfulness walks, silence, journaling for self-discovery, creating and coloring mandalas, Daily Examen, mindfulness practices, forest bathing, walking a labyrinth,seeing beauty, presence, gratitude, and spiritual direction. She has been practicing for 1 to 5 years.

Griselle Estrada, MSN MFP-Traditional: Doctoral Fellow (2019-2020), American Nurses Association. Pursuing a Ph.D. in Nursing. Anticipated graduation Winter 2020.

Griselle started practicing self-care after an MFP Zoom check-in. The ANA coordinators held a Zoom meeting in May to catch up with fellows and see how everyone was doing and self-care was one of the topics discussed. During the meeting, Brianna Singleton (ANA fellow) offered to start a Zoom writing group and subsequently sent out a link for those interested in joining. The writing group meets daily, Monday through Friday. Although she hasn't accessed the group on a daily basis, it has offered the structure she needs to accomplish writing tasks related to her doctoral program. It has also offered a place of contact with other fellows. Griselle has also initiated a Zoom prayer group. A small group meets once a week to share how they are doing and what their prayer requests are. She feels great having a safe space to talk and be reminded of the hope that is derived from their faith in God.

Kimberly Lewis, BS MFP-AC: Master’s Fellow (2019-2020), National Board of Certified Counselors. Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Mental Health with a concentration on addiction counseling. Anticipted graduation August 2021.

Kimberly has focused her self-care efforts on building and maintaining resilience, embracing change, keeping an optimistic perspective, and reframing her goals. She has also practiced her faith by praying for the well-being of medical professionals who have put their lives on the line to save our families.

Chanale Propst, BS MFP-Y: Master’s Fellow (2020-2021), National Board of Certified Counselors. Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Counseling Education. Anticipated graduation May 2021.

Chanale’s self-care practices include remaining flexible and setting work/life boundaries. She works to incorporate activities like taking long drives in scenic areas or taking a walk.


MFP FELLOW SELF-CARE RECOMMENDATIONS