No one ever said advocating to end hunger would be easy, in fact, it can take a significant toll on our well-being if we do not properly care for ourselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Covey (2020) shares we must sharpen our saw by "preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have -- you" (p. 147). Regular exercise has been proven to lead to higher circulating levels of dopamine which is a molecule that drives us to seek rewards from achieving goals and pushes us to put in the effort to be successful with those goals (Chakravarty, 2018); and you should know by now that motivation plays a critical role in advocating for those that suffer from hunger. How can we be effective advocates if we are not motivated to help others? In addition, taking care of your spirituality can mean connecting to anything you find meaningful -- this can be art, people, nature, religion, etc. Tending to our spirituality can provide us a sense of purpose and meaning in not only our advocacy efforts, but our life in general. It allows us to connect with others, understand suffering, and remind us there is good in the world (Mental Health America, 2022). When it comes to caring for your mental health, self-care has been proven to help us manage stress and increase our energy (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). When advocating to help end world hunger, it is inevitable that we will confront issues that will challenge our mental state, therefore, taking care of our mental health will help reduce our anxiety, deal with problems efficiently, and provide us with clearer thinking (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). Lastly, but just as important, emotional health also plays a critical role in advocacy because "people who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors" (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2020, para. 1). Are things not going as planned in your advocacy efforts? Are you not gaining the support you hoped? Taking good care of your emotional health can help you cope with these challenges, keep problems in perspective, and help you manage your negative feelings.
As local activists and advocates, we value finding ways to help others gain access to food because this affects their four dimensions as well. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there is a strong connection between hunger and chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes (Feeding America, 2021). Due to the worry that people with food insecurity deal with about finding their next meal, they are more prone to mental health problems such as anxiety, PTSD, and anxiety (Feeding America, 2021). The brain also needs fuel to help us regulate our emotions and without it, individuals are more prone to experiencing unpleasant emotions (think about the last time you did not have enough to eat and felt "hangry"). While local activists value helping people in need renew their four dimensions by providing them with food, they also value sharpening their own saw by engaging in activities that help nurture their physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental nature. If we are not our best selves, how can we produce our best work in our advocacy efforts?
Now that we know how practicing self-care can help us reap its many benefits and help us be better, more authentic, and effective advocates, we must satisfy the urgent need to invest in our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development. We need to take care of ourselves first before we strive to take care of others. Individuals that suffer from hunger need us to be our strongest, healthiest selves so we can continue to help them gain access to food because as mentioned before, advocacy is not an easy task and it requires us to be on top of our mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health so we can effectively tackle issues that arise in the process. Take my personal experience as an example for why you should take time to renew your four dimensions. In the middle of this college course that prompted me to start this movement, I fell into a dark place because I was not tending to my four dimensions and taking time to renew myself. It had been months since I worked out, which resulted in me feeling fatigued everyday and unmotivated to go on with this movement. I was not prioritizing my mental health because I was too focused on my life after graduation. I had not gone to church in almost half a year due to COVID which caused me lose purpose and meaning in anything I did; and all of that neglect trickled down to negatively impacting my emotional health -- I was angry all the time, lashed out at my partner almost daily, and rarely thought before I reacted to any situation. I knew something needed to change so I took the initiative in making small changes everyday that would help me renew my four dimensions; I started going on walks everyday, started reading my Bible again, practiced being aware of my emotions and responding to them in appropriate ways, and focused on practicing gratitude and positivity. I am in a much better place now and I am more motivated than ever to continue helping individuals that suffer from hunger.
CALL TO ACTION! As local activists that work tirelessly to address hunger, we need to make sure we are the healthiest versions of ourselves we can possibly be – physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Individuals that suffer from food insecurity NEED us to be their voice and take actions to help give them more access to food, however, we cannot help others if we do not nurture and renew our four dimensions; only then will we become authentic, effective advocates. Because of this need, I challenge you to take some time for self-care this week and engage in at least one activity from each dimension listed in the graphic below, then share that graphic on any of your social media accounts to encourage another advocate sharpen their own saw. Comment on my blog about your experience with your self-care or any feedback you received from reposting the graphic.
Information Sources:
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2020, June 23). Mental health: Keeping your emotional health. familydoctor.org. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://familydoctor.org/mental-health-keeping-your-emotional-health/
Chakravarty, D. (2018, December 10). Boost these hormones to succeed as a leader at work. The Economic Times. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/earn/boost-these-hormones-to-succeed-as-a-leader-at-work/articleshow/66988190.cms
Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Simon & Schuster.
Feeding America. (2021, May 18). 3 devastating effects of hunger on the body. Feeding America. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/3-ways-hunger-affects-your-body
Mental Health America. (2022). Take care of your spirit. Mental Health America. Retrieved May 2,
2022, from https://www.mhanational.org/take-care-your-spirit
National Institute of Mental Health. (2021, April). Caring for your mental health. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health
Image Sources:
Alexander Youth Network. (2021). Mental health minute: take care of yourself and others. [Image]. Alexander Youth Network. https://www.alexanderyouthnetwork.org/mental-health-minute-take-care-of-yourself-and-others/
Covey, F. (2021). Habit 7 - sharpen the saw. [Image]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168040629825149346/
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