The importance for self-care

More and more in the mental health profession across different disciplines, there are reports of burnout, difficulties navigating the systems we work in. This has impacts on us as clinicians, as well as our clients/ These issues can be worsened the more rural and regional people become, as less services in these areas further limits the supports people can reach.

This can be taxing for clinicians and highlights the important to ensure we pace and preserve our own wellbeing! This is like ‘put your own mask before helping others’ that flight attendants talk about if there is an incident on a plane. However, in the pressures and demands of the current systems we work in, this can be easier said than done!

I have now moved to coining this ‘as intentional self-care’. The reason for this is, there was a time where I was struggling to make this time, and I felt the effects! Living rurally presents some unique challenges to healthcare, the services we have locally and therefore what we can achieve. The further in the Central West and the Riverina you go, can also intensify these issues, and the resulting stress this can land on clinicians is huge!

Due to these busy days, with little break, I started allocating time in the evening, weekends, and during summer, in the morning (I get up at 5am!) to be able to do this to ensure ‘I filled my cup’ and had self-care time set aside. In summer, I would often go and garden, prune and pick fruit early before sunrise and the morning routine of the day begun.

In the evening, I would spend time with my animal’s family and friends, as well as in the garden to ensure I had time to decompress. We all have different things that can fill our cups, and something we can even choose to with others (I know any do Yoga and Pilates early vs weeding plants!) We also need to try different ways to do this, as the way I schedule my self-care may not be a good fit for others. Often, it takes a bit of playing around and tweaking before you get it right and may even need flexibility in it too.

Without this, our industry is at increasing risk of being burnt out, as there are currently high demands, huge changes and workforce shortages putting added pressure (as well as events overseas, at this time of writing). Our own personal lives can also affect this too, if we have a lot going on outside of the workplace.

So, now is a time to reflect: do you need more self-care? What do you do, or do you need to find more things? How can this be achieved. There isn’t always a quick and easy fix, and that is okay! Sometimes, it can take some thinking outside the box for this.to happen or even working with an experienced supervisor or professional can be worth chatting too. With further need to ensure we adapt to the busier times ahead, this is imperative to practice.