Early in 2022, I was lying on the couch with a fractured foot, elevating it, and contemplating self-care. I started this blog and since then have had a series of even more serious challenges that have tested me.
The fracture was very minor and healed quickly, however it forced me to pause and reflect about self-care – something I previously thought I was quite good at. Self-care has also been an undeniable trend in my recent supervision conversations with a range of practitioners over the past couple of years.
Firstly, I must acknowledge that the term “self-care” may be overused for you. It might be loaded and buzzwordy. It is something that might trigger guilt or be confused with procrastination.
Put aside any preconceptions for a moment and consider it this way: if you are a person who cares for others in your work, how do you do the work that cares for you? Maybe it is helpful to momentarily remove the word “self” with its direct evocation of “selfishness” and focus on the concept of “care.” If we care for, and about, others in our mahi, what is an appropriate amount of care to ensure we provide to ourselves? And who might be the generous people in our lives who can also offer us care?
You may have had seasons where life was great and you maintained a healthy balance or reciprocity of care towards others and yourself. Some of this might have happened in the work and some of it in your personal time. You may also have moments where your capacity to care about/for others and yourself was limited, and I recognise this blog might remind you of those past experiences. I am certainly remembering some times that my cup was empty.
The thing about cups is that they are designed for regular use: sip, drink, refill, enjoy, wash, store and so on. It is not just about being half-full, rather redefining our understanding of what the cup is, what is inside it and how this influences what we need.
This is the first of a series of blogs in 2023 (following on also from Karen’s final blog in 2022) that will explore some ideas for caring for ourselves in ways that enable us to enhance the care we have for others. I will be sharing in these blogs a few strategies and lists that I hope you adapt for yourself. I gathered these lists several years ago in my ‘Self Care Kit,’ and recently through supervision it is felt like our collective capacity cup could do with a top up. I look forward to sharing them with you.
Ngā mihi, Rod
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