by: Jackie Davis
Throughout spring I had the privilege of talking with staff from across the state about their favorite self-care tools and ones they’ve seen used by our program participants. Many of these conversations have been weaved into #31DaysofWellness and one in particular stood out for me. In March 2021, Brayden Ransom and I met (virtually) with Amelia Saunders, Director of West Hartford Residential Services. Amelia works with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in our Robinson House facility as well as in scattered-site supported housing and transitional housing for people with mental health conditions throughout West Hartford.
In our conversation, Amelia shared how proud she was to report a COVID free residential program in West Hartford. They have not had a single case in a year and attribute this to the care and diligence of her staff as well as the self-care of the participants who have followed the CDC guidelines for their health and safety. With the pandemic, staying (mostly) at home has come with it’s challenges but many have found art, crafts, puzzles, and decorating to be excellent self-care tools to keep busy and to keep their minds occupied. One self-care tool in particular stood out for me in this conversation, mainly because it was one Amelia uses herself – Faith.
“We still need each other, we can’t do this alone,” shared Amelia during our discussion. Her strong faith has kept her going through this difficult year and this tool is one she shares with some of the residents at her programs. “Faith is important. Leaning on faith as a tool for self-care has helped the participants who stay mainly indoors because of the pandemic.” Amelia and her staff have instituted a 2-minute challenge to help encourage residents to get outside and get fresh air. Their task is to try being outdoors for just two minutes. If after that time, they want to go back inside, that’s fine – but if they find they are enjoying themselves, they stay outside. Having faith and trust in the staff to support them makes all the difference.
Faith as a self-care tool can be interpreted in a variety of ways: Faith in humanity, faith in a higher power, faith in yourself – are all ways to utilize this tool. Following our discussion, Amelia shared a special video message to be posted for day 19 of #31DaysofWellness. Learn how she utilizes Faith as her self-care tool.
