Last night, my good friend and I spoke for awhile about self-care and compassion fatigue. Today, for our team meeting, we shared healthy treats and brought up the topic again for others to share their own experiences and how they practice taking care of themselves.
There are many ways to "self-care," including taking a walk, mindful meditation or breathing, spending time with friends, sharing a healthy snack with someone, and not eating your lunch at your office desk!
Why is this important?
Well for starters, YOU are important. You are a human being and human beings need sleep and food/water. We also need other things that many people take for granted such as time to mentally recover from stressful moments, being affectionate, and sharing in both joys and sometimes sorrow with those you love.
Taking time to take care of yourself helps not only you, but those you care about as well. You can't care for others if you are burnt out.
Another reason why self-care is important? Efficiency. You can't do anything productive if you are worn out or mentally exhausted.
My children have 2 mental health days given by me per semester during the school year. They can choose to take it at any time with no questions asked. I find it important for them to recognize when they need a day of rest. We are all so busy that sometimes we forget to look after our own selves. It's okay to take a break. We SHOULD take a break.
It's healthy to take a break.
I am planning to take more time finding ways to support my own self care: eating healthy and being more active are healthy choices that I am committed to keeping. Taking naps when I am tired and recognizing when I need a break are things I will be working on without guilt.
What are some ways you take care of yourself?
