This month's guest article is courtesy of Mistress Milesenda de Bourges, Baroness of Darkwater.
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Self care and the SCA:
Due to the volunteer nature of our organization, there’s always a trend for volunteers to over-do it. We’re excellent at looking out for our friends’ well-being and health but very often we let our own slip. In Trimaris, this is often heat related but the concept of self-care, particularly for volunteers and event staff, is something that can slip your mind. In some cases, people become so dedicated to the idea of their service or whatever concept they are working on, they are willing to forego their own self-care to “be responsible.”
If we plan to keep volunteering and plan to keep our volunteers in good shape and coming back, we need to be aware of some self-care necessities.
1) Make time for yourself to have regular meals at events.
Even if you’re the autocrat, the nobility, or the busiest reservations steward ever. Keeping your body fueled is Important not only for your health but also to keep you energetic and sharp. When we are hungry, we don’t think clearly or quickly. We react more sharply and emotionally. We lose problem solving skills.
Tip: If you’re the sort of person that forgets to eat when busy, assign a friend to run lunch over to you as you work.
2) Hydrate
Much like the above, this one is critical for events themselves. Even for kingdoms not dealing with extreme heat, dry air and lots of activity can make you dehydrated very quickly. Again, this also can affect your ability to think and problem solve.
3) Get sleep.
You don’t need to do a 12 hour marathon but plan ahead to get at least 6 to 8 hours so you are functional for the big events of the day. Again, a lack of sleep can inhibit thinking and cause us to react more negatively than we intend.
4) Take a short break.
Have a backup person to cover while you sit down for fifteen minutes. Go into the AC and cool off (or the heat and warm up). Be willing to realize that you need a momentary breather and then take it. The more stress you pile onto your brain for an extended period will again affect your ability to deal with problems.
5) Have backup plans
This is a planning piece that ties into self-care as having a solid “what-if” plan for your event can save you a lot of time and stress on the day-of. While you can’t plan for every contingency, have some backup folks ready to go for volunteer needs and last minute issues.
6) Be kind to yourself – mistakes happen
Most people won’t notice and if they do, they happen. Forgive yourself, make up for it as you can, let it go, tell a friend and vent, and then move on to having a great day.
7) If you are actually sick or injured – DON’T DO IT.
Commitment to your job, your position, your practice, your whatever is not worth injuring yourself further, making yourself sicker (or spreading germs), or straining yourself. That’s not commitment and responsibility or dedication – it’s injurious. It’s better to find someone to take on the responsibility and get your rest (don’t just drop the ball!) or to take the night off than it is to push yourself so far that you cause greater injury. As volunteers in the SCA this is one of the biggest issues I see. Real life – and your health and well-being – ALWAYS comes first. Running a fever or too exhausted to safely drive? Don’t go to the meeting. Been fighting a serious cough for a week that the weather won’t help? Get a friend to help cover event duties and take it easy. Take care of yourself first – so that you can take care of others when you are able.
