As the Summer winds down and we enter Autumn and a new academic year in this age of socio-political upheaval, continuing COVID-19 variants and all its co-morbidities, my wish is for all of us to practice some radical self-care. The word radical attached to self-care may make some scratch their heads. I have been preaching this concept for several years now, and it is not a new concept but one I feel is needed for the health and wellbeing of our nation, our communities, and each one of us. Renowned author Audre Lorde pinned this thought about radical self-care: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”.
So, what exactly is radical self-care? This type of self-care implies that we practice self-love and healing, to love, care for, and heal others. It is a way to build up our immune system to fight our current syndemic – these socially, politically, and spiritually divided times in which we are all experiencing multiple levels of trauma.
What is a syndemic? I am glad you asked. Oxford defines it as an association of two or more diseases or health conditions in a population, particularly when produced or exacerbated by adverse social, economic, or environmental conditions. I will elaborate a bit more on this in my next thought piece. In the meantime, I encourage each of you reading this to listen to my friend and colleague, Dr. Wizdom Powell in this talk about leveraging our collective energy for radical self-care and healing:
Dr. Wizdom Powell TEDx Talk: https://tedxsantabarbara.com/?episode=dr-wizdom-powell-phd-mph-its-time-for-radical-healing
Until next time, Be Well!
Mario C. Browne, MPH, CHES, CDP
Community Wellness Initiative of Pittsburgh
Vice President