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Self care for volunteers

This is a very demanding situation, so self-care is more important than ever! If you feel stressed or panicked, reach out to others and take a break❤️ 

Taking a break might not feel good since you probably feel the urge to help as much and as long as you can. We get this. But please, take care of yourself as well. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

We’re all aware that this is a particularly difficult humanitarian situation by which we’re all affected. But you, as volunteers who are regularly closely confronted with the refugees, need to also take care of yourself.

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For your own future and for that of the refugees who will need your help also in the next weeks to come: you need to take care of yourself!

⛺ On-Site

  1. Have regular breaks (i.e. set a timer of 90 Min) ⏰

  2. Establish a fixed end for your shifts and try to stick to it ⏱

  3. Find a group of 2-3 other volunteers, maybe friends or volunteers who started to help together with you and work together during your shifts: check-in with each other regularly, take over responsibility when one of you needs a break, remember each other to:

  4. Take time to eat and drink.🥛🍴

  5. Practice Relaxation-exercises: Take a walk around the block, sit in a quiet place and meditate. 🦋
  6. Ask for help when you’re struggling. We are building a network of psychotherapists who work on-site at the Hbf and ZOB. Reach out to the Stadtmission which is organizing the psych help & ask coordinators to get in contact with the volunteering psychotherapists - and if you meet some of them and get the offer to talk to them, use the opportunity, because they might see more clearly then you how tired you seem 🗣
  7. Be aware of your own emotional state: what are my feelings and what are the feelings of the other person? 💡

🏠 At Home

  1. Sleep enough 💤
  2. Distance yourself from work/volunteer-related communication (i.e. mute your phone) 📵
  3. Talk about your feelings and about the stressful experiences/situations (initiate self-help groups for volunteers, talk to friends, family) 😓
  4. Keep Socializing 👥

🧠 Exercises

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Take a step back and train the awareness of your current mental state and feelings
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Stimulate your senses when feeling distressed
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Calming skills
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Calming exercise
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Awareness of your posture: The tongue
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Awareness of your posture: Shoulder
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Co-Regulation

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