Self-care has become a buzzword — sometimes trivialised into bubble baths and mindfulness apps, sometimes treated as a personal responsibility that lets organisations off the hook. Neither of these is what this module is about.
Real self-care — the kind that actually makes a difference for people doing emotionally demanding work — is more fundamental and more demanding than a list of relaxation techniques. It involves honest self-awareness, the ability to notice when you are struggling, and the courage to do something about it before a crisis arrives.
This module cuts through the noise. It looks at what the evidence says actually works for people doing work like yours — not generic wellness tips, but strategies that have been found to be genuinely protective for workers in high-stress caring roles.
It also acknowledges something important: individual self-care alone is not enough. Good self-care requires organisational conditions that make it possible. Both matter.
This is a Developing-level module, building on Burnout and Vicarious Trauma and Secondary Traumatic Stress.