MHM Magazine

20 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 2022 | Issue 4 MHM In more recent years, self-care has become a buzzword for enjoyable activities such as massages, eating chocolate cake or going on holiday. Although these experiences do bring about a decrease in stress, they’re temporary and short-lived, as they don’t change what is waiting for us back in the “real world”. The Oxford Dictionary defines self-care as the “practice of taking action to preserve one’s health” while the University of Syracuse defines it as “our ability as human beings to function effectively in the world while meeting the multiple challenges of daily life with a sense of energy, vitality and confidence”. To me, the key words here are “action” and “to function effectively”. Self-care requires us to take daily action to ensure we’re functioning effectively in various interconnected components: psychological, emotional, spiritual, physical, financial, relationships, and cognitive. We each have our own ways of coping with stress and acknowledging what may be healthy/ unhealthy for us can assist us in developing a plan suited to our individual needs. Olga Phoenix developed a Self-Care Wheel which can be accessed online: https://olgaphoenix.com/self-care- wheel/ and may be a useful tool in determining what your unique self- care needs are. Also identify your barriers to implementing self-care strategies. These may be linked to time, energy, workload, family responsibilities or even lack of motivation. When we’re already exhausted, overwhelmed and unmotivated, self-care can feel like adding more onto the never-ending to-do list . During times like these, we start with the basics, setting daily reminders like: drink more water, make time for breaks, eat regular nutritious meals, make time for movement, prioritise the to-do list, plan to take leave, take time for lunch or get enough sleep. We require different self-care at different times and so our plan needs to be re-adjusted according to our needs. It also needs to be realistic - start by setting one target and as that becomes manageable, add on new targets. Another critical skill to develop is self-awareness, which refers to the ability to integrate self-knowledge with the dual-awareness of our subjective experience as well as the needs of the patient. Research shows that self-awareness improves the way in which we deal with stressors, enhances self-care and leads to better patient care. The rate of compassion fatigue and burnout also decreases in healthcare professionals who practice self- awareness. A daily practice of self-awareness might look like checking in with yourself during the day, asking questions like: How do I feel right now? What does my body need at this moment? How does this experience make me feel? What could I do to help myself feel/cope better with this stress/trauma? Self-awareness can also be developed through introspective activities such as meditation, journaling, grounding techniques, or yoga. Sometimes we need to get even more real with ourselves by considering why we may neglect ourselves, try to please others, struggle with setting boundaries, find it difficult to ask for help, or keep repeating the same relationships. We most often develop these patterns in response to childhood experiences and it may also be useful to seek therapy to unpack those experiences. Perhaps we need to consciously remind ourselves that we’re human beings too and that giving 100% looks different every day. Human first, healthcare professional second. So maybe the goal is to be “good enough”, doing the best you can in each area of your life. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.