Caring for Yourself in a Caring Profession

This one is for all the people out there who devote their life's work to taking care of and investing in the wellbeing and growth of others. This is your reminder that your wellness matters just as much as that of your clients, patients, students, etc. This is your wake up call.

People often ask me what is the most challenging part of my job. They look at my small stature as I talk about total assist transfers, think about every nerve and muscle I've memorized, and gawk at my early start to the day and expect an answer about the day to day work as an occupational therapist. But the hardest part of being an occupational therapist, for me, is remembering that I need to care for myself first and foremost.

When I started my current job, I found it really hard to do anything after work due to fatigue. Before I knew it, my routine was pretty bleak. I would wake up 10 minutes before I had to leave for work, go to work for the day, come home to sit on my couch for a while, eat, shower, sleep, and repeat. I was still doing what felt like my best at work, but outside of work I was exhausted, cranky, and withdrawing from people around me. I would take home my disappointment and anger if something was going on with the people I treat because of medical instability when it was 100% out of my control. I would wake up in a half-dream state thinking about interventions for the day. It was incredibly unhealthy and I was on the road to burn out (going way over the speed limit).

I've always found it kind of interesting that we define who we are by what we do. It makes sense to the extent that we put a lot of time and energy into our work. I think thats part of why the word "occupation" transformed from every task that occupies our time to what we do for work. As a society, we tend to value that most. I put all of my heart and soul into work and in that, I had forgotten to practice what I preach. I was losing myself in this caregiver/work role and forgetting to nourish my own mind, body, and soul. I was an occupational therapist pretty much only engaging in the bare minimum of occupations to get by. Kind of ironic, huh? It comes down to this: I am more than an occupational therapist. I do more than work. I deeply love my job, but I needed to love myself enough to give myself permission to put me first and live my life fully.

So I chose to snap out of it. I took ownership of the problem and made changes that were practical and sustainable. They all come down to 5 steps.

STEP ONE: LAUGHTER

I started with perhaps the best act of self care that could accomplish at work: remembering to laugh throughout my day. Since becoming an occupational therapist, I have chosen to work with populations that others often tell me "sound depressing." There are definitely sad moments and cases...but overall I feel that there is much more joy and laughter than sadness and stress. You have to choose which to foster. Be sure to relish the successes and laugh about the mishaps. Not only does it make your day more enjoyable, the people you are helping also pick up on it and work harder when they feel the positivity in their experience.

STEPS TWO AND THREE: BE MINDFUL AND LET IT GO

These two go hand in hand. There is so much day to day that is out of our control. There is no use in obsessing over it. I try to make a conscious effort each day to recognize what is not in my control and not obsess over it. I do that by checking in with myself often throughout the day, especially when I feel my stress level creeping up. Is this something I can change? If yes - take steps to improve it. If no - try to release that stress right then and there. Sometimes it's easier than you think to say to yourself "oh wait, this really does not matter in the scheme of things and I'm deciding to not let it impact my day."

However, it's not always that easy and it is a disservice to yourself to pretend it doesn't matter to you. The trick is learning how to feel it without letting it take over. I know myself enough to know I will always get attached to the people I work with. I care deeply about each person and their families. When I have a significantly frustrating moment, I give myself permission to take a certain amount of time to let it out of my system. My mantra in those moments is notice it, let it out, let it go. Find the ways that you feel like you can release those emotions in a healthy way so they do not impact the rest of your day and the day of the people around you. Your coworkers and your clients/patients/students/whoever don't only pick up on your joy and laughter, they definitely know when you are stressed out or pissed off and it impacts them too!

STEP FOUR: CLOSE YOUR DAY

A really significant change I made was finding one thing at the end of work that signified that I was closing that chapter of the day. I made the decision to take a walk after work everyday, rain, snow, or shine. I park about a 15 minute walk from the hospital and the act of walking was a physical outlet for whatever emotions I carried from the day. Physical activity is the most natural stress reducer. The hormones our bodies release in times of stress are our "fight or flight" hormones. The most efficient way reduce those hormone levels and your feelings of stress is to move. I pair that movement with something I love: listening to an audiobook/music or calling a friend/family member.

STEP FIVE: HAVE FUN

Once I started feeling like I successfully closed my day, I made a point to start participating in my favorite activities again and limit my couch time. I try to do at least one thing I love every day. Somedays it still feels really hard and I want to back out of doing anything. So on those days that are hard, I commit to doing something for me, even if its just for 5 minutes. Any time I choose to do something that I value, I feel energized and better.

Self care is something we must choose. It is something we preach to the people we work with and therefore, we should also choose to practice it ourselves. By choosing it, you will fill yourself with what you need to be happier in your work and your life. There are just five steps to start: laugh, be mindful, let things go, close your day, and have fun. If I can do it...you can definitely do it.

#wellness #healthcare #selfcare #occupationaltherapy