Great Stories
Montana Campus Corps:
College Students Meeting Critical Community Needs
Self Care by Karelia Mowbray

One of the most important lessons I learned throughout my time serving as a Student Assault Resource Center (SARC) advocate was how to maintain a self care regimen. Most folks working in the social services are empathetic by nature. Helping and advocating for survivors of abuse is something I am very passionate about, however, empathizing with those who seek help comes with an extreme emotional burden. With the support of the advocate team and my extraordinary mentors and supervisors, I struggled to learn how to take good care of myself and to recognize and enforce my boundaries. This lesson was so important because it prevented me from the all to common burnout. Also, while keeping my attitude healthy and positive I was able to be a much stronger supportor and advocate to those who needed my strength the most. It seemed counter-intuitive when I first started to learn how to focus on my own needs so much, but once I experienced how my strengthened attitude actually helped those around me, I became an absolute believer in my self care. I want my experience to help others realize the importance of developing their own individualized self care activities.

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