“Care for the Caregiver” Webinar Recording and Notes

On 12/5/18, Princeton AlumniCorps and Appleseed hosted a webinar presentation and Q & A on the topic of “Care for the Caregivers” of undocumented and displaced people. This webinar was the 3rd in a series as part of a partnership between Princeton AlumniCorps and Appleseed, funded by the Hewlett Foundation, which aims to promote network-based collaboration on issues facing immigrants and refugees.

About this webinar recording: Self-care is an important practice for everyone, especially direct service providers and volunteers whose day-to-day work can often be stressful, distressing, and taxing. This webinar featured two speakers who shared self-care insights and practices they’ve gleaned from their work. The 90-minute session featured presentations from the speakers, followed by a Q/A with the webinar audience.

Below, you can access the full recording of the webinar, notes on some of the key topics covered by the speakers, and access more resources provided by the speakers.

Notes from the Webinar
Mindfulness (one definition) – Maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle nurturing lens. One easy way to practice mindful awareness is by paying attention to your breath. Mindful breathing is a focused awareness of the breath which can be practiced while sitting with eyes closed or while engaged in physical activity such as walking.

When we are triggered – when there is an external stimulus that provokes a negative reaction, it often starts a chain reaction in our body. If there is a perceived threat, the amygdala takes over, muscles tighten, blood pressure increases, breathing accelerates, adrenaline is released, and we are fight ready. While this entire cycle only takes seconds, recovering from an adrenaline spike can take hours or even days. The more that we practice mindfulness and manage our response to negative triggers, the less likely we are to experience that chain reaction.

Shared readings from Mark Sanders
Mindful Breathing Handout