Finding Playful Rest in a World of Crisis

It’s impossible not to know about so much of the pain in the world of social work. Not that I want to be blind to it all, but how do I balance it while still living my best life and harboring hope? I don’t have a clear answer and I suspect it will be different for everyone. It’s also something I hope to be intentional about with others! 

I want to practice living my life to the fullest no matter what that means on a given day. I want to laugh, play, rest, and nourish. I want to protect my mental health from the sea of information bombarding me 24/7 when I’m feeling too sensitive to cope. I want to have time to run through a forest and breathe the sweet air. There is so much goodness that is so easy to forget about. 

Maybe I’ll always have that “I’M NOT DOING ENOUGH” fear swirling around in the background AND I think it’s important to remind myself that I’m here doing this major thing. To remind myself I have to take care of myself too so I can be of service. After everything I’ve lived through and overcome, I’m here and I’m trying. I also hold this for my peers as often as I can, because the truth is:

We care.

We are here.

We feel the pain of the world.

We feel the frustration of the broken systems.

And yet,

We are here.

We are doing something major. 

We are trying.

But first,

We have to take care of ourselves. 

It’s an easier-said-than-done kind of feeling, but so it goes with most mindfulness practices. That’s why we call them practices. I hope you’ll join me and others in being more intentional about this delicate balance when we can.