Self-care: what is it, why is it indispensable, and how is a personalized practice created?
Our peer support skills training has an entire module dedicated to discussing self-care. As a peer supporter, it can be challenging to listen to someone's story with empathy and without letting it affect you or "get to you." That's why peer supporters must ensure they take good care of themselves first. We like to use the image of "securing your oxygen mask before assisting others" when you are on a plane. That is, you must first put the oxygen mask on yourself before you can help others with theirs.
The concept of self-care also applies beyond the world of peer support. We all need to take good care of ourselves to restore our reserves so we can take on everyday responsibilities and challenges that may come our way. Self-care is about being kind to yourself, knowing what you need and addressing those needs, recognizing your limits and being self-aware.
Whether by noticing changes in physical or emotional health, in your morale or your behaviour, your body and emotions are usually good indicators to help you determine when something is wrong. It is also important to remember that everyone's inner measure is different. For example, some might cope with stress by eating more, while others might find their appetite disappears in similar situations.
Just as overall wellness is a holistic and ever-evolving concept, so is your self-care. Taking care of your physical, cognitive, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual well-being is all part of developing a well-balanced approach to life. There isn't a one-size-fits-all recipe, and what works for you today may not be what works best for you six months from now, so it is essential to practise ongoing self-awareness and keep your self-care activities in check.
You may have seen this type of self-care "wheel" before. The MHI model includes the following categories:
When it comes to self-care, the goal is to engage in activities or practices that would support each of these categories:
Spiritual: Feeling connected to something beyond the individual level (examples: a religious faith or belief system, nature, social causes).
Physical: Wellness and comfort in one's body and environment.
Financial: A healthy relationship with money, work/life balance, and economic security.
Cognitive: A healthy engagement in learning, higher-level thinking tasks, and intellectual challenges for the purpose of growth and enjoyment.
Emotional: Awareness, acknowledgement, respect for, and healthy coping with one's feelings.
Psychological and Social: A sense of well-being in one's relationship to self and others.
It's important to take a holistic approach to our self-care; often, we tend to focus on just one or two areas. For example, we may feel our self-care is covered if we walk three times a week or have an active social circle. However, focusing on only one or two components can leave our self-care practice lacking.
At MHI, we like to think of our self-care as the wheels on a bicycle; the bicycle representing the support system that enables us to travel on our journey, with each spoke on the wheel representing a different area of self-care. If we don't have balance in all areas, it can make for a bumpy ride, not to mention if our journey gets tough, like a steep hill, it is much harder to get up with a wheel that is flat on one side.
Take time to reflect on what you do to develop your self-care, both regularly (preventative) and occasionally (reactive), perhaps after you've had a difficult day. Are there areas where you could see yourself improving to achieve a better balance? What things might you add to your self-care routine to help achieve this?
Here’s a helpful checklist to help you evaluate your self-care practice.
The more you explore and experiment with various forms of self-care, the easier it will be to determine what you may need at a given time and what works best for you.
Remember, the primary objective of self-care is to honour your needs, prevent burnout, and ultimately develop routines that enable you to function at your best.
In the spirit of men's mental health month and the Movember campaign - which looks at mental health through a male lens, focusing on prevention, early intervention and health promotion - some of our male MHIers have shared the self-care strategies they use to unplug from day-to-day stress.
Cameron Rankin, Peer Supporter, Peer Support Nova Scotia
“For me, maintaining recovery comes in many forms. Rigorous exercise, hiking, music, reading, and trying to learn something new as often as possible. Gratitude, reflection, and appreciation for those who continue to walk this path with me are crucial.
I often reflect on my mental health experience and remind myself of the great stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. As Aurelius says, “What stands in the way, becomes the way.”
Read the full article.
Stéphane Grenier, MHI Founder and CEO
“My work with MHI serves as a very good reminder of the things I need to do to look after myself. I am no better at this than anyone else. I am grateful to be surrounded by people who care and who do not let me forget about my own self-care.
When I am feeling overwhelmed and need to reboot my brain, I stop what I’m doing and take a walk in the forest behind my home. I get still and focus on the scent of the pine trees. My two favourite self-care activities are building/woodworking, and being in the water. "
Read the full article.
Kyle Hillier, MHI Peer Support Practice Leader
"I often share the importance of staying busy, having a purpose, and taking care of your responsibilities ... I know not the most exciting tagline, but we must start with a strong foundation. When we lose that basic fulfilment, it makes challenges that come our way more difficult to face.
As a new father, purpose and staying busy have a new meaning altogether. Balancing life these days seems more challenging for everyone I connect with. Challenges aren’t going to stop coming, and as overwhelming as recent times have been, I don’t want challenges to stop coming; it’s what gives life purpose (that being said, the universe could chill out for a little while and give us a bit of a breather!).
Creating and maintaining a day-to-day routine that gives us a fighting chance is our best bet. For me, I need to get outside, get fresh air, and walk at least twice a day. I commit time daily to my meditation practice; this helps grow roots to weather those inevitable storms we are all facing. I spend as much time as possible with my little guy, my partner, and my dog. Lastly, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of play and humour. Life isn’t easy, so I take every opportunity to make light of things and have a laugh.”
Read the full article.
We’re here to help.
MHI provides a full suite of mental health services for workplaces and health care. They consist of a comprehensive turnkey service for the development of peer support programs, as well as virtual and in-person peer support skills training that is customized for the community, first responders, and workplaces.
Learn more here and sign up for our Support Your People Newsletter for upcoming training updates.