Story by Randy Porter
(SNR) - The pandemic has highlighted the need for a culture of care, according to Dr. Courtney Miller, licensed psychologist and director of clinical services for Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska at Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center.
“We as human beings are made for connection and for care of one another,” Miller said. “Connection and care do not have to be big gestures, but are often best communicated through small acts of kindness.”
The pandemic has shown we have to depend on others now more than previously, she said. By increasing involvement and engagement with others, we share the burden. We find we are not alone in our struggles, our fears.
We find strength in relationships with others and the courage to continue to persevere and to hold fast to our faith, she added. It is about being attuned to the needs of others, whether it is someone close, someone we do not know well or someone we do not know at all. A smile and helping hand are a universal language. It’s mutually beneficial to offer a gift of yourself to another without any expectation of anything in return.
Taking up a new activity to get involved in a caring way can help create a feeling of well-being, Miller said.
“When we are able to get outside of ourselves, we regain control,” she said. “We shift our focus from a passive state to an active state. We know physiologically that any form of physical activity boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels, reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and improving self-esteem and cognitive function.”
Involvement in new activities can also alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal. Individuals or families benefit from another person taking a caring interest in them, Miller said.
“We all desire human connection,” she said. “We are made for love and for care of one another. Having another person take a caring interest in our lives allows us to feel valued, appreciated, loved.”
It reminds us that we are special and beautiful, as each of us is made in the likeness and image of God. We have a purpose. All of us benefit from having another person take a caring interest in us. Often when we come back to the basics, we find we have all we need.
It is important that we examine our own care, particularly during this stressful, uncertain time, in order to best care for others, Miller said. We need to attend to our needs across these areas of well-being: physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, relationship, and workplace care. Often our own self-care involves reaching out to others for support, being humble enough to ask for help when needed, which in turns gives the gift of God’s grace to the helping individual.
