1. STAFF SELF-CARE
How to Teach it AND How to Practice It!

2. WHAT STRENGTHENS US?
Healthy food
Sleep
Exercise
Relaxation

3. WHAT WEAKENS US? Stress Substance use Intermittent health care
Nicotine
Alcohol
Unhealthy drug use
Intermittent health care
for even relatively short periods of time, there is a significantly increased likelihood of delays in seeking recommended follow-up care, care for chronic conditions, and clinically indicated preventive services.

4. STRESS
Strain or tension
Physical
Mental
Emotional

5. WHAT’S THE REALITY? Good self-care: One or two weeks in August
A few weeks over the holidays
Maybe January and a part of the spring

6. SOLUTIONS: NUTRITION EAT breakfast – focus on protein
Stop drinking calories
Replace some of your sugar and refined carbs with whole foods like fruit and whole grains
Make half your dinner vegetables
Don’t eat after dinner

7. SOLUTIONS: SLEEP Add 45 minutes/night
Be intentional about being “on call”
Don’t sleep with your phone in arms reach
Exercise before 6pm
Darken your sleep space
Avoid caffeine after 3pm
Change the culture of sleep at camp

8. SOLUTIONS: EXERCISE PLAN. IT. Use your facilities
Connect with your staff
Pick what you know you like
Create accountability
Walking around camp is not enough

9. SOLUTIONS: SUBSTANCE AVOIDANCE
What’s the culture?
Access
Traditions
Language
Consider going
“clean and dry”

10. SOLUTIONS: STRESS REDUCTION
Identify stressors
Change it or your reaction
Think about coping mechanisms
Mindfulness
Exercise
Sleep
Support network
Secret weapon: orgasm

11. SOLUTIONS: MEDICAL CARE
Plan preventive care
Make a pre-camp appointment
Make a post-camp appointment
Enlist your camp nurse or doc
Model self-care

12. MARCH/APRIL: Menu planning for camp
Consider sleep structure at camp for leadership staff
Start an exercise plan you could continue
Reduce alcohol, caffeine, etc
Try out different stress reduction methods
Schedule your own doctors’ appointments

13. MAY: Make your own menu plan for snacks, missed meals Pre-sleep
Adjust your own exercise – track it
Reduce alcohol, caffeine, etc
Practice stress management
Go to your own doctors’ appointments
Prefill Rx’s

14. JUNE-AUGUST:

15. SEPTEMBER: Make a plan for this off season
Assess your weight and eating habits
Post-sleep
Exercise
Manage stressors differently
Go to your own doctors’ appointments

16. WHY DO THIS? You get one body The work you do matters
You are a role model even more than you know!
If for not other reason, it’s cheaper