Sam is a social worker whose role involves regular exposure to clients’ trauma stories. Over time, Sam notices changes that were not there before. Certain client details replay in their mind after work. They feel more emotionally reactive, more guarded in relationships, and more tired even on days that are not especially busy. Sam still cares deeply about the work, but feels a growing sense of heaviness and emotional saturation. Self-care routines that once helped feel less effective. Sam begins to question whether these reactions mean they are “not cut out” for the work! What do you think Sam is experiencing? • Have you experienced something like this through your work? • If you are currently in this space, what support feels most important right now? • If you have not experienced this, how would you want to respond if you noticed these signs in yourself?

I’m planning an informal Coffee Chat or Lunch & Learn toward the end of the month, and I’d love for you to be part of it. This will be a relaxed, come-as-you-are space. No presentations. No pressure. Just conversation and connection. Nothing is fixed yet. This space is shaped by what you want to talk about. Is there something you’d like us to chat about? Please drop your ideas or suggestions in the chat. Even a single word or question is welcome. More details on the date coming soon. I’m really looking forward to connecting with you.

One of the things that often gets lost in frontline work is the chance to slow down and think together. So much of our work happens under pressure: limited time, heavy caseloads, system constraints, ethical tension, and expectations that don’t always align with our values. Reflection becomes something we’re told to do, rather than something that actually supports us. This community exists because learning in doesn’t only come from training, policies, or supervision. It comes from: - noticing patterns over time - sitting with uncertainty - naming tensions that don’t have clean answers - hearing how others make sense of similar challenges This is a space to think with others. Please share: - What part of your work feels hardest to hold alone? - What do you wish there was more room to talk about in these spaces?

Today’s challenge is about reconnecting, gently, with the natural world as a source of regulation, belonging, and perspective. Pause and consider: • When was the last time I felt connected to something natural, light, air, water, earth, or sky? • What part of nature feels most grounding or familiar to me right now? • What kind of connection feels possible today, even briefly? Activity: Spend a few intentional moments connecting with nature in whatever way is available to you. This could be: - stepping outside for fresh air - noticing the sky, trees, or clouds through a window - touching water, soil, a rock, or a plant - listening to wind, rain, or birds One word for what you noticed (calm / steady / distant / mixed / etc.)

This January, I want to pause and center something that often gets pushed aside in frontline work: ourselves. So much of our work is about holding space for others, responding to crises, and meeting needs. Over time, it can become easy to lose sight of ourselves in the process - to keep going, even when we’re depleted. Self-care in frontline work isn’t about doing more or getting it “right.” It’s about noticing where we are, how we’re showing up, and what we might need to keep going in sustainable ways. As you reflect, you’re invited to be honest with yourself and, if it feels right, here: • How do you see yourself right now? • Are you remembering to include yourself in your care, or are you forgetting yourself? • Do you feel like you’re giving yourself enough rest, boundaries, and compassion? • When things feel heavy, do you seek support?• Who do you usually reach out to just to vent? And if you need a place to vent, this can be that space. You don’t have to have a solution. You don’t have to tidy it up. Sometimes being heard is enough. This month, we’ll be starting our Self-Care Challenge, beginning January 5. You’re invited to join! Let’s support one another in centring ourselves as we move into this year together.