Self-care.  What an interesting word.  We hear about it.   We encourage our patients to do it, whether it is in the form of eating healthier, taking medicines appropriately or exercise.  But what does that mean to us as professionals?  What does that mean to you and I personally?  This article will look at what self-care looks like, what it is not and then what it means personally.  Because, while we care for others and pour ourselves out as healthcare professionals, if we do not fill our cups up then we will quickly run dry.

What Do The Professionals Say Self-Care Is?

According to Psychology Today, “Self-care is about checking in with yourself to see what you need for an optimal state of being. It’s about nurturing the opportunities to slow down, be present, and have gratitude for the life you are living.”  In other words, self-care is like an annual physical.  When you get your annual checkup, the physician checks your blood pressure, weight and reviews certain lab work.  If everything looks good, great.  If there are things out of line, then the physician offers interventions to bring things back to normal.  Examples include diet change, exercise and medications.

In the same way, self-care is a personal check up that you perform on a regular basis to ensure you are functioning at an, “optimal state of being.”  It can be something as simple as taking 5 minutes to evaluate things you decide are important or it can be more elaborate and take much longer time.  The length of time is not important.  What is important is that self-care occurs regularly and you are purposeful about it.

How We Make Self-Care Practical

So, how do we make self-care practical?  How do we make self-care a part of our everyday lives when there is already so much to do and not enough time to do it?  I believe self-care is an intentional act, no matter how great or small, that I do to recenter my emotional, physical and spiritual state.  Often that is my morning ritual, which I practice most days.  Sometimes, it is going to a local botanical garden to watch them catch hummingbirds and tag them.  (Yes, it was very cool).  The point is, self-care is anything that helps you rejuvenate and reconnect with yourself.  It is a purposeful act I engage in to make myself a priority.

Let’s face it.  We are bombarded with chatter in the form of television, radio, the internet and even our well-meaning significant other or best friend.  We rarely, if ever, have a moment of quiet from the chatter.  We are so inundated with the chatter that we do not take the time to rejuvenate.  Or worse, we do not know how to take time to rejuvenate.   However, taking time, even just a few minutes, to shut all the inputs off is a starting point to rejuvenation.  Turning off the television or the radio for just a couple of minutes gives time for your mind to refocus.  My point is, give yourself just a few minutes each day to be alone with yourself.  You do not need to spend hours and hours meditating or journaling to practice self-care.

Another way to make that self-care practical is to remember that it is cheap.  Self-care can be as simple as sitting in your favorite recliner drinking your favorite beverage and just relaxing.  It can be as simple as a walk in your neighborhood and enjoying the sites that you see - I like looking up in the sky and observing the clouds.

Another way that self-care is practical is that it is regular.  What I mean is that self-care should be something you do daily, even for a few minutes.  Ultimately, self-care is a habit you build.  And the only way to build a habit is to practice deliberately every day.  Again, it can be as little as a couple of minutes, but do it every day!

That is NOT Self-Care!

We discussed how self-care is practical and simple.  Let’s discuss what self-care is not, because understanding what it isn’t will keep you from setting yourself up for failure, because if you set up unrealistic expectations, you will quickly become frustrated and stop practicing self-care.

First, self-care is not something that takes a long time.  As we discussed earlier, self-care can be as little as a few minutes.  But it is important to repeat this because as you embark on the journey of self-care you will begin to read about people who go on a week long meditation retreat or who have a daily practice that starts at 3 a.m. and lasts until 9 a.m.  While these are types of self-care, you do NOT have to do this in order to practice self-care.  You can schedule 5 minutes with yourself each day at a certain time each day to write in a journal what you is on your mind.  That is self-care.  That is easy.

Self-care is NOT laying in your bed for 5 minutes and scrolling through social media.  You might be thinking right now that is how you enjoy time to yourself.  However, sitting and consuming social media is not checking in with yourself.  If anything, it is increasing your anxiety and stress due to FOMO Syndrome (Fear of Missing Out).  So, instead take those 5 minutes and be alone with yourself.  It is okay!  Do not be afraid to be still and quiet for 5 minutes!

Lastly, self-care is not embracing the “self-care culture.”  I read a lot.  I have read extensively on self-care and how to do it and what it is and what it is not and how to best do it and on and on and on.  Self-care and personal development are the new buzz words and fads.  However, reading about self-care and learning about self-care and going to seminars about self-care is NOT self-care.  You do not need to embrace the self-care culture.  It is easy to start reading and learning about self-care and still not practice it!  Just be alone with yourself for 5 minutes!

Conclusion

At the end of the day, self-care is not some deep ethereal practice.  It really is answering a simple question: What can I do today to take care of myself for just 5 minutes?  We lose sight of how to care for ourselves in the busy hustle and bustle of life.  Additionally, we are so bombarded by social media that we have forgotten how to be alone with ourselves.  But in the long run, by neglecting taking care of ourselves, i.e. practicing self-care, we sacrifice our best selves for the immediacy of the now.  That may work for a short period of time, but when our personal well runs dry we have nothing left to give in our personal and professional lives.

So, my challenge to you is to get alone with yourself today.  Find 5 minutes today to be alone and take some “me time.”  It is okay to disengage from the hum of life for a few minutes to prioritize yourself.  Guess what, the world will not end.  Work will keep going.  The children will be okay.  Your boss will not freak out.  I promise you.  Find the time and put it in your calendar.  Better yet, schedule it every day for the next week.  I promise you will not regret it.