I’ll bet you didn’t know that today (July 24th) is International Self-Care Day? Now that you do, I encourage you to celebrate it by doing something today to take better care of yourself.
Perhaps there has never been a more important time in history for us to commit to taking better care of ourselves than now considering the current global pandemic. Not only is there a novel coronavirus affecting us, but stress is at an all time high with all of the fear and confusion surrounding it, and we now know that stress is perhaps one of the biggest threats to our overall health. Unmanaged stress is often the most common start of disease, and the World Health Organization has called stress “the epidemic of the 21st century”.
Some of you are probably thinking, “Self-care - that sounds silly!”, but I am here to tell you it is not. After overcoming my own health challenges, and working in healthcare for the past two decades, I have learned first-hand from my patients and personal experience that self-care truly is the missing ingredient from the recipe for optimal health and wellness.
Unfortunately, many of us (myself included) have been taught that we have to take care of everyone else and everything else before we take any time to care for ourselves. We have jobs, children, husbands, wives, parents, pets, homes, yards, et cetera that demand a lot of our time and energy, and we want to do a good job in all areas of our lives. This was my biggest struggle. When I first heard about self-care I laughed, “Self-care – who has time for that?” I felt like it was a luxury I certainly did not have time for until retirement, but it is perhaps the best investment of your time for the highest return. For example, studies show that people who take time to walk just 30 minutes daily live on average 10 years longer than those who do not. Talk about a great return on your investment!
Another limiting belief that I had was, “Self-care – that’s selfish.” I felt guilty and irresponsible if I took time away from my family or my job; however, I quickly realized self-care is not selfish, it’s self-honoring. It is about developing respect for yourself and realizing that you are worth it. I quickly learned that the short amount of time I spent investing in self-care gave me a tremendous return of happiness and contentment. I was kinder to my family and more patient with myself and others afterwards. The common quote, “You can’t pour from an empty cup” is certainly true! Think of self-care as the ultimate way to fill up your cup so you can maintain enough reserve to give to others.
Many people have also been indoctrinated with the idea that it is someone else’s job to take care of their health, “Self-care – I’ve got healthcare to take care of me.” They are dependent upon health professionals and health systems and feel hopeless and powerless against their diagnoses and diseases. A common misconception is that healthcare professionals can take care of your body better than you can, and prescription medications are much more powerful than your lifestyle choices. Medication is definitely a helpful tool in many cases, but it is certainly not the only tool. And you obviously take in much larger quantity of food and beverages than pills! Although healthcare workers can certainly assist patients with improving their health, we can’t do it alone without their active participation, and prevention truly is the best medicine!
When it comes to emergencies and acute care, nothing is better than modern Western medicine, but we are failing miserably as a nation in treating chronic diseases! It is estimated that over 50% of American adults have at least one chronic disease. Why haven’t we yet found the “cure” for these chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, cancer)? It seems obvious to me that it is because chronic diseases largely develop from unhealthy lifestyle choices which is an area that modern medicine largely ignores. Studies have shown that only 5-10% of the health challenges we face are genetically determined, while a whopping 90- 95% may be due to lifestyle! To me this seems like a “no-brainer”. We need to help people to make better lifestyle choices and provide a support system for them to succeed in doing so.
Unfortunately, most doctors have no training in nutrition, exercise, or stress management, and no skills for supporting behavior change in their patients, plus they are constrained by time and cost. We are 300 years into an antiquated and outdated medical model that the body is just a physical machine and we must simply force it into submission. The only tools modern medicine has are prescription medications, shots, and surgeries. The new story is the possibility that symptoms may not be the problem but rather the way the body is trying to communicate the message of an unbalanced, deficient, or toxic lifestyle and a desperate call for better self-care. No one is exempt from the fundamental laws of nature and human health! Humans will never be healthy in an environment where they are nutritionally depleted, inactive, sleep deprived, overwhelmed with stress, overloaded with toxins, and unsupported by community, no matter how much medication they take. It is imperative that we get back to the basics and teach these fundamentals first.
So, what exactly is self-care and how do you do it? Self-care is any action you take or intention you hold to improve your overall health, but it encompasses more than just physical acts you do for your body. I like to break self-care down into 5 areas that include both actions and intentions. Acts of self-care – something you do for your physical health. Intentions of self-care – thinking, feeling, connecting, and being in alignment with your optimal health. I have listed them below along with a few examples of basic activities to give you a better idea of how to practice self-care in each area.
The 5 Areas of Self-Care:
Physical (Doing) – drink more water, eat more whole foods, make yourself a healthy homemade meal, prepare and portion your food ahead of time, pack healthy snacks when on-the-go, get more sleep, take a bath, enjoy a cup of hot tea, play your favorite music, go for a walk, take a yoga class, enjoy your favorite aromatherapy, plant a herb garden, rub lotion on your feet, put on your cozy socks, take your medication and supplements regularly
Mental (Thinking) – learn something new, read an article or book, watch an educational documentary, watch a stand-up comedy show, take personal development course, talk to a therapist or counselor, keep a journal
Emotional (Feeling) – acknowledge your feelings, tell people how you really feel, be patient and kind to yourself and others, forgive yourself and others, try to see another perspective, have compassion, let go of resentment, spend time with your pets
Social (Connecting) – talk to your family, call a friend, have family dinners on a regular basis, set up a group video meeting, ask for help, create a support system, set boundaries, join a book club, hire a health coach
Spiritual (Being) – schedule “down time”, get quiet, be alone with yourself, spend time in nature, sit under a tree, watch animals, smell the flowers, light a candle, meditate, pray
Your most intimate relationship in life is your relationship with your body. It is the only place you have to live. You must take personal responsibility for it. You must seek out information on how to take better care of it. We put our health in peril when we neglect it. You cannot wait until something is broken to care for it. Think about it - you change the air conditioning filter in your home and the oil filter in your car to take care of them, so don’t you think your body deserves the same preventative maintenance and self-care?
If you are currently healthy but worried about whether you may get sick and are feeling powerless, I invite you to take action. I believe there is no greater form of activism than to practice good self-care. To paraphrase one of my favorite leaders, Mahtma Gandhi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” A better world really does start with a better you. You can become an example and inspiration to those around you and provide them with strength and support.
During times of uncertainty, we must have a strong foundation to stabilize us and maintain our health. We can find stability and comfort with our self-care habits and routines, and as we consistently take better care of ourselves, we build self-trust and resilience against stress. What is your foundation? Have you established self-care routines and habits to fortify yourself and build resilience? Or have you allowed the stress to overwhelm your nervous system with fight, flight, or freeze mode. Which one do you go to? Do you get angry and find yourself picking fights with your family and friends? Do you avoid your feelings and “numb out” (binge watching, scrolling through social media, drinking too much, overeating, shopping online)? Or are you paralyzed in fear and overcome with negative emotions (isolating yourself, staying in bed all day)? Usually lack of self-care stems from lack of self-love. As hard as it is, we must learn to move from victim mode of “Why is this happening to me?” to hero mode of “What am I learning from this?” Instead of “Why Me?” you must shift your mindset to “Try me!” This is how we turn our struggles into our strengths to become powerful and resilient.
Over the past six months, I have focused more on my own self-care and done the deepest personal development work than I have ever done before. With the help of this amazing community of powerful and supportive people, I have developed a community project that I am excited to tell you about called Transform Healthcare with Self-care. Through launching this project, I am standing for the possibility of health, happiness, and freedom for people with chronic illnesses. The mission of my project is to educate, inspire, and empower people to end needless pain and suffering and regain their health through taking responsibility for it with better self-care. To achieve this goal, I am creating a webinar called “Self-Care Made SIMPLE” to teach the six steps to achieve optimal health based on the best of both modern science and ancient wisdom of nature. I am also creating a support group called the Self-Care Support Squad which will offer a variety of opportunities for participants get support and accountability. We already have a few exciting ideas for programs including: a walking group, a book club, a cooking club, meal share program, a gardening team, “Self-Care Sunday Fun Day”, and instead of the “To-Do List”, make an “Un-Do List”.
I am currently requesting help from anyone who shares a common interest in this mission to help people overcome illnesses and improve the overall health of the nation. I need participation from people with chronic illnesses who want to improve their health and would benefit from the support of a community. I would also like the assistance of other healthcare professionals that may have ideas to contribute or examples of personal or patient success stories. I would even love the participation of anyone who may have friends or family members with chronic illnesses who want to learn how to better care for and support their loved ones and would benefit from caregiver support.
Instead of focusing on only treating illness, we can shift our focus to promoting wellness. It simply requires changing the “I’ to “We”. No one can do it alone, but together as community we are powerful and anything is possible. Please click on the
CONTACT tab at the top of this page and email me if you are interested in helping to support me in my mission to Transform Healthcare with Self-care.
