Hello! As we begin the month of May, I like to reflect upon change, renewal, transitions, and the new life that comes with Spring. Spring is always an opportunity for setting goals, priorities, and dreaming up new visions as we launch ourselves into another season of growth. What is something you are doing to prepare in anticipation of this change and renewal? What is drawing your attention as we all unthaw with the Earth?

I hope included in your priorities is your own self-care. Self-care can be so difficult to practice but is so important. A colleague shared this paper with me recently and it discusses how effective yoga can be as a stress management  and burnout intervention for healthcare workers. Stress can seep into our bodies and we can get into the pattern of holding on to that stress tightly. We can even grow to identify with the stress and begin to think of ourselves as "stressed out" people. This makes it difficult to move through our day to day and handle continued challenges. 

I hope you find this collection of resources useful in your work. Feel free to respond directly to this email to share any feedback!

Take a moment for yourself, when you can. Remember to pause, breathe, and let go of what you can. Thank you for your continued hardwork and dedication in serving your communities!

Please send us highlights of your work to be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Thank you for your continued hardwork and dedication to your communities! Send to YouthHealth@extension.wisc.edu.

Thanks for reading!