Re-imagining Social-Emotional Learning & Self-Care
By: Monica C. Hudnall, MA, CCC-SLP/L, A-RSP
Taking care of yourself may seem more difficult now than ever. The lines between work, school, and play have become blurred for many of us. Suffice to say, you may feel stressed or overwhelmed - but know that taking care of yourself is necessary so that you are equipped to help your family and your community through this time.
CW knows the importance of wellness practices for SLPs, especially as we navigate the uncharted landscape of COVID-19 and continue our work with our students, clients, and families. This is a reminder to take some time to develop a self-care plan and to keep in mind that Social-Emotional learning (SEL) is a critical part of caring for yourself.
Self-care is a holistic process that we all need in order to foster presence, engagement, wellness, and self-love. Self-care is not a singular skill. Instead, self-care includes a wide variety of tasks tailored to meet your diverse needs (Ali, 2019).
There is no doubt that self-care is critical to our ability to show up in our work and personal lives. I spent the latter half of my twenties learning and developing my yoga and meditation practice, and have spent countless hours hiking and exploring nature. I thought these were the keys that unlocked the mystery of self-care, little did I know I was just scratching the surface. It was not until I took a trauma-informed leadership course as a part of my doctoral studies, and living in the existence of a global pandemic that I came to realize self-care and social-emotional learning are interwoven.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL, 2020). I spent much of the summer of 2020, de-constructing what I thought was self-care and re-constructing it to reflect two particular elements of SEL: Self-Awareness and Self-Management. The former is the ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. The latter is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. I figured that both of these skills have a direct impact on how I define and engage in my self-care.
First I completed the Self-Assessment Tool: Self-Care. After completing this assessment I began to conceptualize self-care across domains, not just a single, or handful of performative actions (e.g. getting a massage, happy hour with friends). I quickly concluded that self-care is a social and emotional process, and I needed an action plan to integrate and manage consistent practices in this process. In turn, I created my own Social-Emotional Self-Care Plan.
The critical pieces in social-emotional self-care are recognizing and regulating ourselves through multiple lenses including our Physical, Emotional, Psychological, Professional, and Spiritual well-being. It makes sense that one domain has an impact on the other, and that self-care in its fullest expression is an integrative and collective practice. Take some time to create your Social-Emotional Self-Care Plan and remember that small changes can have significant outcomes in your health and wellness. As always, SEL is at its core is self-care.
About the Author: Monica C. Hudnall is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and Anxiety Rehabilitation Service Provider (A-RSP). She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Mills College in Oakland, CA, and currently practices in public schools. She is proudly serving a 3-year term as the Early Career Professional on ASHA’s Government Affairs & Public Policy Board. Monica will be presenting on Race, Equity & Social-Emotional Learning in November 2020, hosted by Communication Works.
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