Self-Care is one of the biggest buzz words of 2019.
We see it plastered all over social media with hashtags and captions quoting the importance of Self-Care next to an image of a mimosa and brunch plate. Which may leave us wondering, what does this catchy phrase mean?
Self-care by definition is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. As recreational therapists, we have chosen a career of service. We are consistently helping others, putting their needs before our own. We pour our hearts and souls into the work that we do, hoping and praying that we will indirectly improve someone else’s life.
We pour into others until one day we find ourselves drained and empty, crying to our mom on the phone in the parking lot at work because we’re just too exhausted to drive home … just me?
As a self-proclaimed high achiever with an un-relentless amount of enthusiasm of life, I have this tiny-little habit of burning the candle from both ends. Do you know what the outcome of doing so is? A melted pile of wax on the floor. Messy and unhelpful to everyone around. Sound familiar?
Through experience, I have come to truly understand and cherish Self-Care in my life. If you are looking to step-up your Self-Care game, keep reading to learn 7 Self-Care Tips for Recreational Therapists.
1. Move Your body
As recreational therapists, we know the benefits of physical activity. We preach it ALL THE TIME to those we serve. But do we always follow our own words of wisdom?
Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults get at least 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week to receive positive health benefits. Running, dancing, swimming, lifting weights, playing squash, practicing yoga, playing recreational sports, skiing, Zumba, whatever you what! The fun part is physical activity comes in all many forms, so find activities you enjoy.
I hate spin class. The entire time I’m in one, I’m wishing I was doing something else. No matter how many Soul Cycle classes my friends bring me to, I now know that spinning just isn’t my thing. But do you know what I love? Running, yoga, and lifting weights. So guess what I do for my 5 hours of physical activity a week. Running, yoga, and lifting weights!
If 5 hours a week seems like a staggering amount and completely impossible, here are a few tips to overcome the time hurdle:
- Break it down – Do 30 – 45 mins a day and pick an activity you enjoy.
- Take energy breaks – Do 10-15-minute physical activity breaks throughout the day. Have a walking meeting, do some yoga when you first get out of bed in the morning, set aside weights for energy breaks between Netflix episodes.
- Combo activities – Want to spend quality time with friends but also sneak in your 30-45 mins of physical daily activity? Go to a workout class together or try a new activity like rock climbing as pals.
2. Eat For Energy
Food is such a sensitive topic. Approaching this tip, I feel like I am carrying a ten-foot poll not to “put anybody in their feels”.
But I’m going to level with you, because hey – self-work is hard.
If you put garbage into your body, you are going to feel like garbage. Plain and simple.
Yes, I know that it is “your right to eat anything you want, and nobody can tell you otherwise.” But we also have the right to smoke 10 packs of cigarettes a day, and most of us opt not to because we know the damaging effects that smoking has on our bodies.
So why are the damaging effects of unhealthy diet any different?
This topic is worth an entire blog post all on its own, but I’ll sum it up quickly by sharing one of my favorite food mantras. Rachel Hollis (whom I love) asks herself one important question before every meal, “will this food bless my body?”
Sometimes after a 10-hour shift when I am completely mentally and physically drained, Chick-fil-a will absolutely bless my exhausted body. But, if I am consistently trying to take care of my self so I can show up as my best version for those I serve and love, 4 out of 5 times, I’ll opt for the healthy meal over the burger and fries.
3. Get More Sleep
Felling groggy at work? Making silly mistakes? Having a hard time concentrating on the task at hand? It may be time to take an inventory of your sleep habits.
Lack of quality sleep will cause issues that affect our ability to show up and serve others. If you are not getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night, you may also be doing damage to your brain and body that you are unaware of. Heart disease stroke and diabetes have all been linked to sleep deprivation.
For me, finding a sleep-wake cycle that was consistently 8 hours of sleep every night has been a game-changer. I wake up in the morning ready to start my day and I transition to bedtime with ease. Here are a few of my favorite tips to help improve your sleep.
- Put away all electronics 30 minutes before going to bed
- Charge your phone in another room so you are not tempted to look at it. When your alarm goes off in the morning you also won’t have the opportunity to snooze (win-win)
- No caffeine at 2 pm (…that includes decaf…)
- Use your bed for sleeping and sex only (another win-win)
- Have a nighttime routine that you follow every night
4. Find Time for Fun
I want you to pause and reflect on the last time you had fun.
Fully in the moment – time ceases to exist – caught in the flow – type of fun?
Was it yesterday? This week? This month? Since summer began?
Flow theory is a guiding principle for a recreational therapist’s practice. We create programs, provide interventions, and make recommendations to help those we serve to enter a state of flow. Carve out time in your schedule to ensure you are reaping the same benefits as those you serve.
Remember – fun looks different for everyone. So if your ‘fun’ is staying in, reading a great book, and drinking a cup of tea, please don’t go to an amusement park and get on the tallest roller coaster, only to immediately regret your decision.
Do what is going to work best for you.
6. Ask for Help
What we do is hard work. I know from the outside it looks like all fun and games. But we are carrying the pain and burden of those we serve, whether we care to admit it or not.
In order to help others, we need to be open and receptive to help ourselves. We have a whole support team ready and waiting to help us, once we find the courage to ask for it.
We require help in different areas of our life. Help may mean that when you get home from work you ask your significant other for 15 minutes of quiet time to unwind from your day and reset. It may mean delegating some of your work tasks to those around you or having a frank conversation with your supervisor about your workload.
Look at your life, and reflect on when, where, and who you can ask to help you.
Help could also mean talking to a professional when you are dealing with topics and feelings to difficult to share with loved ones. Many organizations offer Employee Assistance Programs which included several free therapy sessions. You better believe that I took advantage of this program whenever I needed to. If you are unfamiliar if your organization offers it, be sure to check it out.
7. Develop Personal Awareness
As recreational therapists, we focus so heavily on solving everyone else’s problems, we tend to neglect our own. This includes our own personal struggles and issues we face as we go through it.
Life is really difficult some times. We lose people we love, we battle our own addictions, we deal with anxiety and depression. The list goes on and on. In order to serve at our highest capacity, we need to grow and develop a personal awareness around our own strengths and challenges.
Personal growth and awareness is a life long journey. I mean, Oprah still talks about it all the time so if she hasn’t conquered it yet, you can give yourself a break. Here are a few things you can do to help the personal awareness process along.
- Journal your thoughts, feelings, and emotions on a regular basis.
- Track your moods and watch how they relate to environmental factors (i.e. workload, that time of the month, etc.).
- Find a therapist, counselor, or mentor that you can share your journey with and be open to the insights they can provide you.
- Do the hard work. Change isn’t easy, oftentimes it’s super painful. But without it, we would never grow into the amazing humans we are intended to be.
8. Find a Spiritual Practice
Spirituality is another loaded topic that I am going to approach carefully. Often thought of as a religion, spirituality is much more vast of a topic. Spiritually includes a sense of connection to something bigger than us, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life.
Research has shown that there are numerous protective factors for people who have some sort of spiritual practice. Odds are if you choose a life of serving others as a recreational therapist, you felt drawn to this field as if it were your purpose. So if you don’t already have a spiritual practice, I’m going to assume that you are at least open to the idea of one. Here are a few ways you could develop a new spiritual practice
- Spend time in nature
- Develop a gratitude practice
- Meditate
- Practice yoga
- Attend a church or community group focused on religion or spirituality.
What is your favorite Self-Care tips for recreational therapists?
Please comment and share with the community below.
