It’s a simple concept but sometimes difficult to deploy in the day-to-day.
Putting oneself first does not have to be complicated – just go for it with gusto.
Prime example, on airplanes flight attendants tell passengers to put on their life jackets first if there is an emergency. Then, they are instructed to help others when they can—only if they are properly safe first. Why? Otherwise, you would never be able to help others unless you help yourself first.
Team Wellness Center (Team), a Detroit-based mental health services provider, helps address wellness needs while reminding people that they are in control of their health.
With wellness and healthy mental health habits encouraged and elevated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to overlook how to stay (and maintain) being well.
Yet, not taking care and balancing it all eventually takes its toll.
Team Wellness Center noted that focusing on wellness is non-negotiable.
“The need for mental health and substance use services was already increasing prior to COVID-19, but it has accelerated during the pandemic,” said Elizabeth Cichon, Team Wellness Center vice president, in a Team article. “We are adding staff to treat more people while continuing to offer affordable, quality, community-based care.”
Bespoke Wellness Partners wrote in an article that becoming a priority in your own life can be done in five simple steps.
“When you think about paying attention to yourself—your dreams, your body, your mental health and everything that has to do with you—what is it that you are thinking about?” author Limor Weinstein noted. “How would you feel if just for one hour (and maybe we can even stretch this a little bit to one day), you only think about you and your needs? Many of us confuse taking care of ourselves with being selfish or inconsiderate, but if you truly give this some thought, you’ll realize that in order to be all that you want for everyone else, you must first take care of yourself and make yourself a priority.”
Step 1: Tell yourself it’s allowed to be selfish.
Step 2: Write down several things that are priorities in your life.
Step 3: Find out what is holding you back from your potential.
Step 4: What is it that will make you happy?
Step 5: Write down five things that you want to do more of.
SIF Health is unrivaled in how it proactively works to help save therapists, health and exercise professionals time, money and frustration.
It is an industry made up of part-timers, solo business owners, and many small businesses yet most have received little to no help to understand how to make running their business easier, to improve their outcomes, and/or to avoid over-paying for complexity that isn’t needed.
SIF Health notes that therapists advocate that self-care is not selfish and starting with the little things can go a long way.
“The concept of self-preservation is something I think is often misunderstood. It is not a selfish act to look after yourself first, it is not something that is detrimental to your patients to take time to prioritize your own wellbeing before theirs. It is in fact quite the opposite, it’s fundamentally important that you do it in order to help your patients to the best of your ability,” according to the article. “There is a specific and necessary reason that we are instructed to put our own life jackets and/or oxygen masks first. As a dad, then, it goes against all my natural instincts to think that I would do this before helping my sons, but I get why I can’t help them in the way I want to unless I take care of myself first.
“The world, our industry and our patients have never been more accepting of change, so maybe it’s the opportunity you need to review and possibly revise the areas in your life that can make the difference.
“We live in difficult and challenging times with much ongoing uncertainty. However, you can rely and be certain of the benefits of taking care of yourself, as well as those who are counting on you.”