People involved in human services are particularly vulnerable to burnout. They may have a strong orientation towards nurturing and giving to others yet may fail to take care adequately for themselves. Self-care increases our quality of life and our ability to support others. Tune in to your own needs and plan ahead. Consider a wellness day instead of a sick day; attend a counselling session or therapeutic experience for your own self; let others know if you need self-care time; ask for help – and that’s surprisingly difficult for many of us who help others! To fit acts of self-care into your schedule, you will need to assign them a high priority and resist notions that self-caring activities are selfish, of secondary importance, or a waste of time. You may need to experiment in order to discover what suits you best. Most people think it’s the big decisions they have made over the course of their lives that have shaped them into who they are today— where they went to school, who they married, what line of work they chose, making a major shift in a new direction, deciding to pursue their passions or travel the world and so on. But the truth is, while such major decisions help to shape a life, in many ways it’s just the opposite—it’s all the thousands, if not tens of thousands—of micro-decisions we make every day of which we are mostly unaware that influence our reality most strongly. It’s a kind of relief really to know that we can achieve the goals we want for ourselves in small, manageable ways that can be inexpensive or cost nothing. All we need to do is pay attention to micro-decisions about self-care practises made drop by drop.
Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with the same care and attention you would bestow on others. Learn to be your own best, most appreciative and encouraging friend. In the end, it is your “self” – your strengths, energy, perceptions, wisdom and experience, uniqueness – that is yours to enjoy and to offer to your relationships and your community.
all about you: self-care, resilience, recovery
Facilitator, moderator and content fantastic. Not used to such professional training. Have never used Lifeline services but will keep you in mind.
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