Duke in Pics: How We Practice Self-Care
For self-care awareness month in September, staff and faculty shared how they make their mental and physical well-being a priority
Savoring precious family time. Prioritizing exercise routines. Creating healthy meals and spending quiet moments out in nature.
These were just a few of the many unique and important ways Duke staff and faculty shared how they nourish their own physical and mental health in our Duke Self-Care Selfie campaign, a month-long Working@Duke contest that invited colleagues to share photos of how they take time for important self-care.
In 2022, Americans are as stressed as ever, with an American Psychological Association poll earlier this year revealing “alarming levels” of stress. With top stressors including COVID-19, inflation and the war in Ukraine, nearly half of adults in the survey said they have been less active in the past year, and one in five said they drank more alcohol during the pandemic as a coping mechanism.
In about 50 submissions to mark self-care awareness month in September, colleagues across campus shared their unique self-care activities, and how that time helps them rest and recharge.
Connecting with Nature
On the first day of September, Jordan McCollum, a copy writer for Global Marketing in the Fuqua School of Business, realized self-care can come through small moments, like walking through nature to the car.
A trek through campus at the end of the day helped her recenter and appreciate the beauty all around her.
“I decided to park in the garage because I thought the walk would do me good,” McCollum wrote. “I didn't realize it would give me time to connect with nature by walking among the trees! This type of ‘hiking’ grounds my mind as well as giving my body exercise.”
Relieving Stress Through Working Out
Since February, colleagues Melissa Ly and Kayla Radosa have ended nearly every workday at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute’s Research Triangle Park campus by going to the gym together.
Through strength training and cardio exercises, the daily activity provides a finality to the workday, and helps the pair relieve stress through healthy activity before heading home.
“My ‘me time’ at the end of the day is hitting that reset button and going to the gym,” Ly said.
The Power of Volunteering
For Sathish Anoor, a staff member for Duke Health Technology Solutions, self-care comes through moments volunteering at The Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone.
“Volunteering helps move the focus away from me, onto bigger things, which is a great stress buster,” Anoor wrote.
From time to time, he also attends courses at the retreat center, with Deep Dive into Silence being his favorite among The Happiness Retreat, Rest and Relaxation Retreat and many others.
Having Fun on the Trails
Elizabeth Feeney, Matt Brown and Eric Stach snapped a photo during a Sunday hike through parts of the Mountains-to-Sea and Occoneechee Speedway trails in early September.
Along with a canine companion, the group representing areas across the Pratt School of Engineering proved that spending time in the company of friends is also self-care.
“Spending time with friends across departments at Duke, exploring new trails and getting outside with my dog, Penny, is the perfect way to relax!” Feeney wrote. “We enjoyed a lot of laughs.”
Balancing Busyness with Relaxation
Amid a busy work trip abroad for a society meeting, Dr. Melissa Erickson, a spinal surgeon at Duke, took time out of responsibilities and events to relax and explore Stockholm.
“After one of the sessions, my husband and I took the afternoon to explore the city, check out a few museums and try some local food,” Erickson wrote on Instagram. “When traveling for work, this is one of my favorite ways to recharge.”
Switching Up a Routine
Melissa and T.J. Wagner, who both work at Duke, decided to break up their usual post-work routine to spend time walking through Sarah P. Duke Gardens one evening.
Switching up the routine helped them spend time together while relieving stress from a busy week outdoors.
“I am a huge plant lover and being surrounded by one of my favorite things always makes me feel less stressed and at ease,” Melissa wrote in their submission. “T.J. and I have both had busy work weeks and getting out of the house to spend time in the Gardens was just what we needed.”
A Weekend on the Water
Employee Health project coordinator Eric Maier spent a fun weekend on Bogue Sound hanging out with friends and family in Newport, North Carolina in September.
His self-care selfie featured getting up and close with a crustacean he caught in a trap. The ocean breeze and company was rejuvenating.
“It's great to spend all day in the sun working the hand-lines and traps for crabs, drinking cool drinks, and watching the scenic sunrises and sunsets along Emerald Island across the sound,” Maier wrote. “Throw in a few pods of dolphins, a trip to the beach and karaoke, and all is good.”
Recharging Before the Fun
After a full day of traveling to get to a week-long slate of Melissa Etheridge concerts at “Etheridge Island,” August Burns, Business Manager of the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics and her wife, Denise Ingram, knew the fun couldn’t commence without taking time to rest and recharge.
A day of focusing on rest and self-care helped Burns and her fellow concertgoers prepare for the fun.
“Before any of the life changing events, we knew to take a spa day upon arrival to get rid of all the travel fatigue,” Burns wrote. “This was the beginning of our trip after our massage, getting in the pool with hydro jets.”
Out on the Lake
On Saturday, Sept. 24, Taylor Shain, a video producer at Duke, grabbed his new inflatable paddle board and headed to Falls Lake. Spending time on the water was a reminder that sometimes setting aside chores and weekend responsibilities to get outdoors is essential.
“I found a spot on the lake where the only sound I could hear was the sound of my paddle,” Shain wrote. “It's such a cool feeling. I got a great workout and had some wonderful time in nature.”
Taking A Lunch Break Walk
Christopher G. Wright, a senior sanitation operator for Duke Facilities Management said he knows sitting during his lunch break would be easier. But instead of being sedentary, he drives over to East Campus to take a walk with his colleague, Antonio Diaz, when he has some time for a break.
Through one and a half to two mile walks around campus every day, Wright and Diaz catch up on work and life, and often stop along the way to do pushups and squats together to work on their health. On a recent walk, Wright pulled out his phone and took a photo during their walk, which is an essential part of having the mental and physical capacity to do their jobs each day.
“Mental and physical health is extremely important, because if we’re no good, how can we help anybody else?” Wright said.
What does self-care mean to you? Even though the Duke Self-Care Selfie campaign is now over, let us know here, write working@duke.edu or use #DukeSelfCareSelfie on social media.