We’re responsible for each other Even as we become more attuned to the needs of people in our communities and try to respond to them, self-care will continue to be necessary. We will still need to clean, feed, and clothe ourselves, make dental appointments, organize our kitchen pantries, see therapists (if that is part of our support system), drink water, and try to move our bodies more. Doing these things together and for each other creates a sense of belonging and builds the intimacy that’s one of our basic needs. It reminds us that we weren’t meant to walk these paths alone, but to learn from and care for one another as we find better ways to live together. The challenges will keep coming, but our communities have the resources to get us all through. Work-life balance Finding a balance between the demands of work and personal life can be challenging. Certified peer specialists strive to be empathic people and care deeply for the people they support; leaving work behind may be difficult. However, an important aspect of self-care is finding a way to strike that balance, and self-care can include community spaces to decompress and find safety in. With hopes to show up fully in this work, caring for ourselves and finding people who we can find safety in allows a certified peer specialist to return to work more present, engaged, and effective in providing peer support.
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