8 Aug, 2014

Self Care Corner: A Seven Step Prescription for Self Love

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:35:20-04:00August 8th, 2014|Categories: Self & Community Care|Tags: self care, Self Care Corner|0 Comments

I recently came across an article from Deborah Khoshaba, Psy. D., a contributor for Psychology Today. Called “A Seven-Step Prescription for Self Love” Dr. Khoshaba shares seven ways to incorporate self love into your life.

Dr. Khoshaba’s says, “Self love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth. Self love is dynamic; it grows by actions that mature us. When we act in ways that expand self-love in us, we begin to accept much better our weaknesses as well as our strengths, have less need to explain away our short-comings, have compassion for ourselves as human beings struggling to find personal meaning, are more centered in our life purpose and values, and expect living fulfillment through our own efforts.”

Here are Dr. Khoshaba’s seven steps for self love:

*Become mindful

*Act on what you need rather on what you want

*Practice good self care

*Set boundaries

*Protect yourself

*Forgive yourself

*Live intentionally

RAISE YOUR VOICE: What you think about this week’s resource? Share your insights in the comments section below. Do you have a self care resource or exercise you want to share? Contact me to have it featured in an upcoming Self Care Corner post.

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6 Aug, 2014

Am I On The Right Track?: Evaluating Nicole Clark Consulting

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:16:49-04:00August 6th, 2014|Categories: Consulting|Tags: consulting, Reflections|0 Comments

I started this blog in 2011 as a way for me to share my thoughts and feelings on feminism, women and girls of color, and various aspects of reproductive justice. What I expected was an increase of clarity on my position. What I got instead was the ability to position myself as a thought leader, connect with like-minded individuals and with people who want to know more about my position, the challenge of staying up-to-date on the constant happenings within the reproductive justice movement, and to make a difference in my own way.

Last year, I reflected on how my activism has been the foundation for my roles as a social worker and as a program evaluator, and this has been my main focus for Nicole Clark Consulting. This year, I chose to delve more deeply into finding creative ways to help individuals, communities, and organizations create or improve their communities, programs and services in order to make a lasting impact.

In the spirit of evaluating my own services, I want to share with you what I feel has gone reasonably well with Nicole Clark Consulting, areas that I’ve been struggling with, and where I see myself headed into 2015:

The 9-to-5 struggle: Along with running Nicole Clark Consulting, I’ve been employed as full-time job social worker for a New York City-based HIV organization since 2010. This has been the biggest struggle since I made the transition from being a casual blogger to developing my business. Anyone who is building a business while working full- or even part-time for an employer can attest to this: It’s hard! Hard due to managing your time between your obligations to your employer while putting in even more hours for your own business, hard because there are times where you’d rather be working on your business while at work, and more. At any given time, my weekly schedule consists on waking up, going to the gym, going directly to my job, leaving at 5pm, going home, and working on my business. Or sometimes I get up early, work on my business before getting ready for work and save the gym for after 5pm. I used to get to work a half hour early or even stay later, but I found that this takes away time from working on my business and for taking time out for self care. I also use part of my weekend and some vacation time to work on my business. Whether it’s drafting my blog post for next week, editing my consulting contract template, or responding to business emails, there’s always something that needs to get done. As difficult as this has been, I’m still amazed at how much I get done for my business and for my employer. And through it all, not only am I grateful that my full-time employment provides me with additional income, I’m also grateful that I’ve found a schedule that works for me for now until it’s time to step into my business full-time. I used to be concerned that sharing that I have a full-time job would make me appear as a fraud entrepreneur. Now I realize more how many people are living this experience, and we will all get to where we need to be in time. (And if you’re having problems with finding time for your business in the midst of working a full-time job, check out these tips from entrepreneur Rosetta Thurman.)

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4 Aug, 2014

Sound Off: Is This The Next Hobby Lobby?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:17:22-04:00August 4th, 2014|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: reproductive justice|0 Comments

A July 2014 article on MSNBC, “This Is The Next Hobby Lobby” details the stories of Notre Dame graduate students Laura Grieneisen and Liz Miller and their ability to access birth control.

While both Grieneisen and Miller are biology students studying the effects of bacteria on baboons in Kenya, that’s where the similarities end.

Both are in need of contraception access, and both are interested in getting an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted. Grieneisen, age 26, is able to stay on her parents health insurance plan and get her IUD paid for under the Affordable Care Act. Miller, on the other hand, is 29, has health insurance covered through Norte Dame, and due to the university’s adherence to Catholic teaching against contraception, is not able to get her IUD costs covered.

While this sounds like a setback, the Affordable Care Act has a plan in place to allow women like Miller to have more expensive forms of contraception covered, while also allowing religious institutions like Norte Dame to opt-out. However, over 100 academic institutions, along with Norte Dame, are suing The Obama Administration, claiming that this opting out allows religiously-affiliated nonprofits to certify their objection to covering expensive forms of birth control still violates their religious liberty.

Why? Because despite their objections, contraception will still be dispensed.

What are some Norte Dame students saying?

Kalya O’Conner, a rising junior says:

“I understand that Notre Dame is a Catholic institution and that birth control is not part of their Catholic beliefs, but not all the people who work for them are Catholic, and they don’t share the same beliefs…There’s this mentality that Notre Dame students aren’t having sex, and that’s not true. It’s a total lie. I think because there isn’t easy access to contraceptives, they aren’t having safe sex.”

Graduate Lindsey Marugg, who was on birth control pills after she ruptured two ovarian cysts, wrote to the campus newspaper in 2012:

“Even though I had chosen to wait until marriage to have sex, my birth control prescription earned me judgment from friends and nurses on campus.

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1 Aug, 2014

Self Care Corner: Mindful Eating

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:18:55-04:00August 1st, 2014|Categories: Self & Community Care|Tags: Self Care Corner|0 Comments

In order to raise your voice for others, you have to take care of yourself first. That’s where self care comes in. If you like this tip, be sure to sign up for the Raise Your Voice newsletter to receive your copy of The Revolution Starts with Me! self care zine for more tips and self care resources.

Back in 2012, The New York Times posted an article about “mindful eating” as a way of being present to help cope with unhealthy eating problems, including binging, anorexia, and bulimia.

Dr. Susan Albers of Eating Mindfully expands more on mindful eating, noting that mindful eating “is being more aware of your eating habits, the sensations, you experience when you eat, and thoughts and emotions you have around food”.

Eating mindfully is different than being mindful of what you eat. When we’re being mindful of what we eat, we’re often focusing more on calories. When we eat mindfully, we extend our thoughts to being present and noting the emotions that come from enjoying what we’re eating.

Take a look at Dr. Albers’ Mindful Eating Plate. It mirrors the MyPlate from Choose My Plate, but instead of focusing on what’s on your plate (such as fruits, protein, dairy, etc.), Dr. Albers focuses on observation, savoring, awareness, non-judgment, and being in-the-moment. Eating mindfully is an act of self care because it encourages us to slow down and be in tune with ourselves and our feelings. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Download the “Mindful Eating” plate

RAISE YOUR VOICE: What you think about this week’s exercise? Share your insights in the comments section below. Do you have a self care resource or exercise you want to share? Contact me to have it featured in an upcoming Self Care Corner post.

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30 Jul, 2014

Advice for the Introverted Facilitator

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2023-02-08T22:08:31-05:00July 30th, 2014|Categories: Speaking & Facilitation|Tags: Facilitation, Workshop|0 Comments

In a few weeks, I will be in Washington, DC, to facilitate my workshop “ ’Good Girls Don’t Have Sex’: How Do Religion and the Media Influence Young Women’s Sexuality?” during the annual Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit. I’ve facilitated this workshop several times in the past, and as I started to prep for Summit this week (completely out of character for someone who loves to procrastinate), I began thinking of the usual: workshop flow and how to improve my workshop based on past feedback. But I also started to think about me as a workshop facilitator, how I relate to my workshop participants, and my personality in general.

I’m an introvert, and workshop facilitation (and other forms of public speaking) seems like an odd choice for someone who is more inclined to draw energy from within. Though I’m not really one to be in the spotlight when it comes to my personal life, when it’s time to raise my voice for women and girls of color in a professional or activist setting, I’m “on”.

“On” for me doesn’t mean I get this sudden burst of extroverted flair. It means that I’m well prepared and I know what I’m talking about. I utilize my ability to engage my participants while also knowing when to stop talking and get out of the way.

If you’re just starting out in workshop facilitation, or if you’ve facilitated before but feel your introversion hinders your ability to engage your participants, let me tell you this: With over 10 years of workshop facilitation experience behind me, I’ve discovered along the way that you can be an engaging facilitator, have fun while doing it, and keep your introversion in tact. Here is my advice on being an engaging, fun, and introverted workshop facilitator:

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Self Care Corner: A Seven Step Prescription for Self Love

RAISE YOUR VOICE: What you think about this week’s resource? Share your insights in the comments section below. Do you have a self care resource or exercise you want to share? Contact me to have it featured in an upcoming Self Care Corner post.

Am I On The Right Track?: Evaluating Nicole Clark Consulting

Sound Off: Is This The Next Hobby Lobby?

Self Care Corner: Mindful Eating

RAISE YOUR VOICE: What you think about this week’s exercise? Share your insights in the comments section below. Do you have a self care resource or exercise you want to share? Contact me to have it featured in an upcoming Self Care Corner post.

Advice for the Introverted Facilitator

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