Self-care the start point for Wellbeing
PROFESSOR Jim Lucey, clinical professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin has recently published a book: ‘A Whole New Plan for Living’. The idea for the book came from his father in 2010, who asked him for “a whole new plan for living” when he was dying.
The book shares a ten step plan to improve your health and wellbeing.
Professor Lucey says that: ‘Self-care is the most important place to start when it comes to wellbeing’. He defines self-care as “making the love of yourself something we do without shame or guilt, without doubt of its purpose or value”.
His view of health is holistic and includes physical wellbeing and wellness of mind and spirit.
Because of changes in lifestyle and stress levels, COVID has challenged us in terms of Self-care.
We were in a rhythm and things changed. Think back. Have you replaced what you were doing before for self-care with something you can do in these times of restrictions? Are you more stressed than you were? Have you made changes to compensate if you are?
Edward a Veterinarian says that self-care for him starts with saying no. ‘It’s so important to create space and time for yourself ’. If you don’t, something has to give and there is nothing left for yourself – either your business suffers, your family suffers or you do’.
Geraldine, a nurse says: ‘Self-care is not something I would have done naturally which lead to a costly burn out which many took years to recover from’. Her top self-care practice these days is meditation. ‘It helps me be grounded and prepares me for the day ahead. It calms my mind and stops the over thinking. I am less hard on myself and kinder too.’ She also loves connecting with nature whether going for a walk, gardening or having house plants. Nature is a great reminder of how beautiful the world is and helps us see the bigger picture.
Geraldine also says: ‘Practising self-care, has boosted my self-esteem and increased motivation and my ability to handle stress better.‘ It is a journey that is helping me connect with myself more and well worth the time and effort’.
Mary’s who works in HR says: ‘Daily Exercise is the most important part of self-care for me. This is a minimum. A daily treat of coffee also!’
Even the basic matters. Showering and putting on a nice scented cream and perfume afterwards is part of Mary’s daily self-care. A weekly treat of a takeaway coffee, or planning something new either for her or her home are important and give her something to look forward to.
‘Meeting the people in my bubble a few times a week is ultra-important and lifts my spirits. Ensuring I ring family every few days also is key. Recently baking has made me feel good, even enjoying banana bread for my breakfast!’
Exercise, healthy eating, positive thinking, dealing with your stresses, facing your fears, drinking enough water, prayer, good sleep and daily fun are also key for self-care. There isn’t a one size fits all formula. Different things matter for different people.
We are living in unusual times. If you are feeling more stressed, you need more time for self-care than before to balance that.
What are you doing to keep your mind, body and soul well and energised? You are the most important person in your own life. Invest time and energy into your self-care. When you take care of yourself, you are your biggest asset and when you don’t you can be a liability to yourself and those around you.
Calodagh McCumiskey is an accredited thought leader in wellbeing. She works with companies and individuals. For more information, visit: www.spiritualearth.com or contact: info@spiritualearth.com | 0871 335230 ‘Let’s grow together’.