Purpose
To reflect not only on outcomes at the end of a meeting, event, project, or work process, but also on the care relationships that were built along the way; to recognize invisible care work and design future processes with greater care and attentiveness.
What Need Does It Address?
- Making invisible care work visible
- Recognizing emotional and relational labor
- Supporting a fairer distribution of care responsibilities
- Strengthening a culture of care within organizations
- Building teams that continuously learn, adapt, and grow
How to Practice It
1. Set aside time for a care reflection at the end of the process.
After a meeting, event, or project is completed, dedicate 15–20 minutes to a brief reflection.
The goal is not to evaluate performance, but to discuss how care was experienced throughout the process.
2. Ask questions about care relationships.
For example:
Care and Invisible Labor
- Whose invisible labor helped move this process forward?
- Who carried most of the emotional labor?
- Who took on relational tasks such as welcoming people, creating a supportive atmosphere, including others, noticing needs, or following up?
- Was this labor visible? Was it acknowledged?
Sharing Care Responsibilities
- Were care responsibilities distributed fairly within the team?
- Did the same people consistently take on care-related roles?
- Was it easy to ask for support and offer support to one another?
Boundaries and Needs
- Were people’s boundaries and need for rest respected?
- Did it feel safe to say when we were struggling?
- Was it possible to ask for help or say “no”?
Inclusion and Accessibility
- Who may have been left out of this process?
- Did we adequately consider the needs of caregivers?
- Were there barriers to participation for people with childcare responsibilities, eldercare responsibilities, disabilities, illness, or other care commitments?
- Was the process genuinely accessible for people with different life circumstances?
Moments of Joy and Life-Giving Connection
Care is not only about addressing difficulties. It is also about recognizing the experiences that brought joy, connection, energy, and vitality.
You might ask:
- What brought us the most joy during this process?
- When did we feel most connected to one another?
- Were there moments when we laughed, celebrated, or felt relief together?
- What small practices gave us energy, nurtured hope, or helped us feel supported?
- How can we create more space for joy, playfulness, and celebration in future processes?
Looking Ahead
- If we could change one thing to make the next process more caring and attentive, what would it be?
3. Document what you learn.
Take brief notes on the discussion and revisit them during future meetings, events, or projects.
The purpose is not to find faults, but to collectively strengthen a culture of care.
Things to Consider
- Participation should always be voluntary.
- The goal is not to evaluate individuals, but to improve processes together.
- Conversations about invisible labor should be approached with curiosity and learning, rather than blame.
- People experience care differently; make space for diverse perspectives and voices.
The İhtimam Perspective
İhtimam Rituals offer practical ways to strengthen care relationships in everyday life. However, lasting solutions to the invisibility of care also require changes in institutions, policies, and systems.
For more structural approaches, explore the Care Policy Recommendation Tool:
https://ihtimam.org/poa/
You can also use the Care Mapping Template and the Digital Care Mapping Tool developed by İhtimam Association to better understand and visualize care relationships.
Shared By
This ritual was contributed by İhtimam’s Co-Nurturers.
İhtimam Rituals are a living collection of care practices developed by individuals, communities, and organizations in everyday life. You can contribute to this collective archive by sharing a ritual that strengthens care relationships in your own daily life.