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March is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme set by the National Women’s History Alliance is "Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." The organization said it chose the theme as a tribute "to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history."

In order to be great care providers providing healing and hope, women must be intentional in their own self-care. Frontliners are selfless. But in order to contribute to healing and hope, it is necessary to be selfish in restoring your own refueling. Women caring for others have often lost their way and restoration is necessary.

• WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES

From health care to home care, restaurants to grocery stores, women are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women workers are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. Nearly 80 percent of healthcare workers and 83 percent of workers who provide social assistance, including child care and emergency services, are women. And women-dominated occupations, such as nurses, flight attendants, and personal care aides, are among the most vulnerable to getting sick and spreading it to others. Women are also in the position to suffer the most in an economic recession.

Even in good times, women are the most economically vulnerable, comprising nearly 60 percent of workers in low-wage occupations. Low-paid women workers have very little in the way of savings, which means it is much harder for them to weather economic shocks, especially when they are likely to be supporting a number of dependents.

I recently spoke with a doctor who shared having experienced shortness of breath and she ended up in a hospital emergency room where it was discovered that she had a collapsed lung. The medical event caused the doctor to be hospitalized in intensive care for several days. She communicated that throwing herself into her work over the past two years of COVID necessitated the need to overextend herself due to the shortage of staff in healthcare.

The doctor reported her strong desire to serve patients in need of care is impenetrable, but she is realizing that her own physical, mental and spiritual health were in jeopardy. The doctor acknowledged that her work as a doctor on the frontline, in a sense, is an escape for her to look outside herself. The outward focus neglected her own need for healing and hope. The doctor admiited that her own healing and hope were ignored.

The health crisis is forcing her to refocus her energy, which will require her to be deliberate about enhancing her spiritual and emotional connection to her Higher Power whom she calls God. This doctor admitted that the medical crisis will cause her to be sidelined for several weeks. She will graciously spend more time with God through prayer, quiet time and inspirational readings. She talked about being spiritually bankrupt which is a dangerous place to be because healing compels her to take action.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Eating healthy and staying active is a great way to stay connected to yourself and your higher power, whether that's God, the Universe, or simply your own internal guidance system. When we allow our internal systems (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) to become clogged and bogged down by lethargy and unnatural substances, we block the opportunity for spiritual growth and eventual awakening. Keep your body clean and clear by feeding it well and moving it often, and prepare to receive the messages you seek.

• LEARN TO LET GO

The reality is you can't force a spiritual awakening. Anyone can have one, but there's no prescription for enlightenment. Do what you can, then let it go. If you're attached to the idea of having a spiritual awakening (and attached to your idea of what a spiritual awakening looks like), you're far less likely to experience one.

Know that you are on the perfect path for yourself. As we acknowledge and appreciate frontline workers and all women, we will all want to fortify ourselves as care providers by refueling, rekindling and restoring ourselves physically, mentally each day whether we feel like it or not. 

CELEBRATE ALL WOMEN DURING NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH.

March 8 is National Women’s Day.