Are you feeling a little burnt out after the last year? You are not alone. This pandemic has been hard and particularly hard on health care workers.
Sometimes the need for self-care becomes most evident when things go wonky with your personal life - big move, divorce, you name it! Let’s explore strategies to stay healthy through stressful times so that we still have our best self to offer.
What are some of the signs you need more self-care?
You feel fatigued
You are having trouble getting up in the morning
You have lost site of why you took this career path in the first place.
You are losing patience with your clients
You are losing sleep
You take things personally
You have lost the ability to laugh at yourself
You feel like quitting
Rebecca's tips for better work-life balance as a health care practitioner
Re-invest in your own health. Put a % of the money you earn towards your own health. Whether it is massage, acupuncture, functional medicine, or a gym membership, keep growing in your own health journey.
Don't take your client's ticket. Your job is not fix people's health problems. You are a partner on their journey. Taking on too much responsibility will cause you to burn out early.
Set good boundaries. Communicate to other's your boundaries. What hours do you work? How can they reach you? How many emails will you respond to between appts?
Schedule it! Schedule the "big stones" first. Schedule time with family, meditation and all the core self-care practices that keep you anchored.
Build community. Attend conferences, round tables and join groups with like-minded professionals. In private practice, one can get lonely and feel isolated. It is important to be intentional about community.