Selfcare and Caring about the planet too
As promised in an earlier piece we attach the link to the slides and facilitators notes for running a climate action without despair workshop
Sometimes people are put off by the term selfcare as they think it can appear selfish, self-indulgent, or self-centred. This is not the case, its simply as well as caring about others we make time to be kind to ourselves. I wanted to share a wee idea though around how being kind to the planet, can also be good for our wellbeing and selfcare.
We do not need to look far to be reminded of all the things in the world to be concerned about. If you find you are constantly doom scrolling these tips may be helpful https://www.copescotland.com/resources/tips-to-avoid-doom-scrolling We are programmed to scope for threats to help keep us safe, so can find even though we do not want to keep reading bad news, we find ourselves drawn to this. Yes, we need to be informed, but like anything balance matters. If we only focus on what is wrong, or could go wrong we can find ourselves becoming exhausted with the ‘What ifs’ https://www.copescotland.com/resources/coping-with-what-ifs Looking after what we are thinking about is also a form of selfcare.
Most people would agree that spending time in nature is good for our wellbeing, even looking at pictures of sunrises, the sea, can make us feel good. This article may be of interest https://www.rickberk.com/gallery/nature-photos-make-you-happy/
At COPE Scotland we recognise the conversations being held around climate change and the impact on the planet. We also hear how often people can feel powerless to really make any difference. This is why we developed our Jigsaw Lid for climate action as well as a workshop on Climate Action without despair. We have ran these workshops many times and the feedback has often been how helpful people find focusing on the 15% in their control, how they have a renewed sense of hope, and also that when we talk about sustainability, we also need to think about emotional sustainability.
COPE Scotland has always sought to work with others and to share, so we have shared the slides and facilitators notes in this link for you to run your own climate action without despair workshops. These do not replace more formal climate action learning sessions, instead they offer a resource which may be helpful for your group, community, peer group to consider around the steps you can take to be kind to the planet and in so doing, offer yourself that positive feeling that there is still hope and beauty in the world and together we can make a difference.
Thanks for reading
Hilda