August Letter from Dr. J

"Self-care is so much more than a beauty regimen or an external thing you do. It has to start within your heart to know what you need to navigate your best  life. A pedicure doesn’t last, but choosing yourself every day does.”

— Carrie Anne Moss

Over the past few years, the concept of self-care has become a recognized necessity instead of a luxury. Witnessing people waking up to this priority has been extremely rewarding for me personally, as years ago, people looked at us as though they believed that only “lazy or self-indulgent” people choose to prioritize themselves.

Sucking it up and holding it all in, and eventually crashing, just flat out does not work and shows up in intense ways with messy and potentially effortful and expensive clean-up down the road. 

Nowadays, the importance of maintaining one’s vitality is not a question of vanity, but rather a point of essentialism in that I see more and more people play the role of the strong provider, or caregiver, often finding themselves juggling the “sandwiched role” of caring for aging parents, while still serving their own household and career demands and objectives simultaneously.

Some of you know I am somewhat of an observationalist in that I focus intently on trends, and I pay close attention to what I witness people experiencing on a daily basis.

I feel very fortunate in that I have been able to successfully assist the last 10 new clients who have visited our office. Here are some of the common concerns that I have noted and documented that are very much intertwined with the extreme need for self-care, and the constant exposure to fight or flight inducing experiences, demands, and thought and emotion patterns. 

• Low energy or fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in the ability to regulate their weight 
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Feeling isolated, not wanting to engage with others as often
• Feelings of guilt, sadness, hopelessness or worry
• Thoughts of stress, overwhelm and, sadly, self-harm
• Excessive drinking, substance abuse or smoking, or internet and media usage

After reviewing this list, I really pondered the concept that self-care looks different for everyone and everyone enters into the health and wellness continuum at different points in their lives.

When connecting with these clients, something I gently share is that a good starting point is to take time to reflect on activities that they enjoy doing, that make them feel good and that give them a sense of meaning. From there, I often encourage to start setting some small goals that could easily become a part of one’s daily routine.

I think it is key to remember: Self-care activities should leave one feeling relaxed, energized and refreshed. If certain activities cause one to feel more depleted, it may be time to try a different approach. By establishing good daily habits for self-care, everyone can learn the signs that indicate they may need more attention to self-care when stressors start to pile up.  

When it comes to defining positive mental health, feeling mentally and emotionally healthier is like a continuum — meaning that one does not experience significant distress from day to day, they have positive coping strategies that allow them to effectively deal with stressors that occur each day, and they engage in meaningful daily activities and relationships. Sometimes circumstances adversely affect mental health, leading to greater distress that makes it harder to function and engage with the things that matter to an individual.

When stress becomes too much for a person to bear, this can lead to a mental health crisis. In addition to prioritizing self-care, we now know it is helpful to know the signs of an impending crisis to know when to seek help from a licensed provider. 

Mental health encompasses one’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. It is essential to overall health and quality of life and affects how one thinks, feels, acts and responds. When it comes to mental health, self-care can help people manage stress, lower their risk of illness and increase energy levels. 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, self-care means taking the time to do things that help people live well and improve their physical and mental health.

“Self-care is important because it enhances our well-being by keeping us connected to ourselves and what matters most to us,” said Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine. “It can help prevent illnesses from occurring or recurring, and it builds our capacity to handle stress and recover from adversity.”  

To build on Dr. Crockett’s comments, we have always encouraged everyone connected to Think Goodness to make self-care part of one’s routine and intentionally protecting time for self-care activities. 

This can look like actually putting a set time in the calendar for self-care or setting standing dates with friends, family members and partners to connect or take time to do something both parties enjoy. While engaging in self-care activities, take steps to limit distractions such as turning on “do not disturb” on devices during times set aside for self-care activities. This is a statement to yourself that what you are experiencing is truly a priority. (Hint, Hint: This also includes taking a break from phone activity when receiving healing care that helps the nervous system unwind such as our balancing sessions. )

We cherish you and celebrate you as you are the type of people who truly see radiant health as a profound form of wealth, and we envision you living abundant, fulfilling, self-care filled and healthy lives! 

We thank you with all our hearts!