It seems every month is some new way to normalise and detach from the stigma around mental health. Despite an ever increasing amount of messaging telling people to reach out and ask for help, we in the helping professions can often hold ourselves back from the same things we preach and submerge ourselves in the concerns of others.
Now more than ever, doctors, nurses, and we providing mental health support are faced with increased workloads; more than we could ever hope to get through. The stakes are higher than ever before and we need to acknowledge the psychological and emotional toll. Wait lists, closed books, increasing levels of compassion fatigue, toxic stress, overwork, burnout, and in some cases moral injury coming from the drive and strive cycle of always wanting to do more and give more. On top of this, we face pervasive anti-science rhetoric that we may feel powerless to combat.
It is imperative we take some of our own medicine here and check in with ourselves. We must treat self-care and some social prescribing as an essential part of our practice. I like to talk about who our clients have on their team: them as the primary driver but us as Psychologists and GPs supporting them along the way. We need to all make sure we’re the best player we can be since we’re so important to other’s team.
The term self-care is thrown about as if it is some mythical beast, but it can be as simple as taking time and checking in with yourself.
Things we can do:
· Healthy therapeutic boundaries
· Scheduling regular breaks
· Being realistic with time and not overcommitting
· Debrief with colleagues regularly
· Sleep well, eat well, move well
· Take some time to engage in mindful practice
· Make time for joy, relationships, and connection
· Reconnect with self, others, culture, and community
They also recommend ensuring you have a good relationship with an independent GP to manage your own health.
Just like we tell our own clients: take or make the time, make that appointment, be prepared for that appointment, go in knowing what you need to say, and commit and follow through. Taking care of your own health will ultimately allow us to be the best player we can, equipped to safely provide care for ourselves and others.
Dom Sabrus
Clinical Psychologist
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