When I first began my service with the National Health Corps in North Florida, I had all sorts of expectations and anticipations. Would I be able to make a difference in the lives of people who I interact with? Would I have a real impact on my host site UF Health’s goal of improving pregnancy outcomes and reducing infant mortality in Jacksonville, Florida? So many thoughts and ideas ran through my mind about how I can assist others, yet not once did I ever actually consider how I would take care of myself.

My main responsibility as a care coordinator is to help clients take care of themselves and their babies. I educate mothers on how to reduce stress during pregnancy, refer them to resources that help alleviate financial or emotional problems, and give them any other information that could help their pregnancies run more smoothly. As for their unborn babies, I have the opportunity to instruct mothers on safe sleep practices, taking prenatal vitamins, and the importance of breastfeeding. The information I provide to them has the common theme of self-care.

However, if you came up to me several months ago and asked me how I take the time to care for myself, you would have been met with a blank stare. I had no idea how important my own self-care was until I was given the opportunity to participate in the AmeriCorps mid-year retreat, during which I took part in activities that I never would have taken the time to do for myself.  I, along with the rest of the NHC Florida members, was able to spend time meditating, discussing how to reduce stress, give each other praises, and express what we all admired about each other; to top it all off, we even got to go kayaking! Most importantly though, I got the chance to reflect and revisit my purpose for being an AmeriCorps member.

The retreat brought to my attention the need to simply sit down and acknowledge the beauty of my service term. By taking the time to take care of myself during the retreat, I was able to revitalize what I didn’t even realize needed refreshing – my sense of Espirit de Corps. The spirit of unity, enthusiasm, and devotion to my service were all rebuilt, all because I took the time to care for myself during the retreat. I reminded myself of something that a lot of people in public health can sometimes forget: taking the time to regularly care for yourself can help you provide better assistance to others. In my case, I was able to go back to UF Health with a zest and a refreshed point of view on how important it is to nurture your well-being.

Now, I relay the importance of my message for better care during pregnancy with even more compassion and concern than before. Who better to explain the significance of self-care than the person who recently discovered just how valuable it is! Each day that I go to my host site, I go knowing the impact and gravity of the education that I provide to my clients. The resources and information that I offer allows them to take action to care for themselves and their babies physically, mentally and emotionally. It shapes them to become better mothers and better members of their communities.

To think, all it took for me to realize all of this was to start taking better care of myself.

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This blog post was written by NHC Florida member Monica Adelphonse.

Monica serves at UF Health-Healthy Start as a Care Coordinator.