An Activity for Professionals
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” --Herman Melville
At the Institute for Family, we want to promote connection between colleagues, organizations, families, and communities. Care-Mapping can act as a helpful strategy and activity to kick off collaboration and facilitate relationship building. We encourage you and your team to take some time over the next month to incorporate this activity into professional development, team building, or personal reflection.
Atlas of Care is an organization inspiring people to “see and appreciate the common humanity in our lives: that we all receive and give care.” The organization works to transform how we care for ourselves and our communities through understanding interrelatedness, self-reflection, and the practice of Personal Science. One activity they do is called The Atlas CareMap. A Care-Map is a diagram of relationships, connections, and interactions that is meant to show the invisible threads that bind us together. The purpose of care-mapping is to help professionals identify and visualize their support network, including formal and informal support. While recognizing current supports, it can also help identify areas where additional resources may be needed. In a time marked by isolation and disconnection, Atlas of Care has found that Care-Mapping is a way for people to realize they aren’t alone and that they have people they can lean on.
Care mapping is closely related to relational health, which refers to the quality and strength of relationships in a person’s life. Harvard Medical School discusses how research has shown that strong, supportive relationships lead to happier and healthier individuals. Capital Integrative Health adds that: “in a world where stress, anxiety, and isolation have become increasingly common, cultivating strong and positive relationships is one of the most effective ways to improve mental, emotional, and even physical health. Care mapping is a way for us to visualize relationships, understanding where we have positive support and where we need to put more focus on creating better connections, enhancing our relational health.
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Below are some impact stories captured on their website:
- “As an immigrant, with the rest of my family far away, I always thought that I was alone. But in drawing my CareMap I realized how close I am to the people I work with. They’re not just co-workers, they’re friends … in fact they’re ‘family’. I am not alone. It was amazing to discover this!”
- “Until I saw my CareMap on paper I was unaware of how large, interconnected and mutually supportive my circle is. It made me incredibly grateful. This simple tool has application for anyone individually but also for projects or work that will require collaboration with other organizations.”
Share your Care-Map and thoughts with us on social media through LinkedIn and Facebook!
If you have any questions or comments about the content in this Lightbulb Moment article, please get in touch with our Research Lead, Madeline Attianese, at mattianese@chsnc.org.
