Emma Karayiannis - Open Source: self-care and supporting others

Open Source communities allow us to contribute to so many things. There will always be work available and it never stops. It's all too easy to get caught up in everything and neglect our own health and wellbeing. We naturally want to help out, to improve something, to support others, to take on responsibilities, and to make our ideas a reality. This session aims to give you the advice and tools to support your Open Source ambitions without ploughing yourself into the ground.

Humans are not designed to work tirelessly and endlessly. At times we have to stop to look after ourselves. Taking a break might not be the easiest or most obvious thing to do. Many of us have responsibilities within the community and a lot of pressure sitting on our shoulders. It's okay to stop and look after yourself. This session explains how to activate self-care mode to let yourself recover. All whilst not letting anyone down in the process.

Many of us in the community are plagued by worrying concerns that hinder us in some way. Such things as, imposter syndrome, feeling overwhelmed, not feeling heard, not feeling accepted, and feeling scared. This session will face these demons head on.

Communicating effectively online is key within an Open Source community. We are a huge team from all over the world, and the majority of our communication takes place online. Miscommunication is all too easy when posting online. Worst case scenario it can lead to unnecessary frustration, conflict, upset, exclusion of others, and people leaving the community. This session contains the facts about online communities plus best practices for communicating online.

If we are to be part of an Open Source community, we must support others. We are all in this together and we depend on each other to get things done. Beginners need support to become part of the community. Long time contributors also need support, more than you think. We have witnessed people crash and burn, and also leave the community completely. There are many simple things we can do to support each other, this session will provide the tools to do so.

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