Self care as preventative medicine

So, what self-care activities did you do this past week?

Baby boy and I went to the Farmers Market on Saturday and then the park. Having a kid really does help me slow down and actually think about what I'm doing.

Some other ideas of self-care activities include: practicing gratitude, getting 15 minutes of sunshine, walking barefoot in the grass, laying in the grass, relaxation breathing, volunteering, writing a note to a friend, getting a massage, using essential oils, taking a class, teaching a class, journaling, having a pet, stretch, pray or meditate, make a different decision, edit your social media accounts, cook a childhood favorite comfort-food meal, drink tea, ride a bike. Are you getting the idea?

The Wikipedia definition we looked at last week is actually great! The definition continues:

Self-care is considered a primary form of care for patients with chronic conditions who make many day-to-day decisions, or self-manage, their illness. Self-management is critical and self-management education complements traditional patient education in primary care to support patients to live the best possible quality of life with their chronic condition. Self-care is learned, purposeful and continuous. In philosophy, self-care refers to the care and cultivation of self in a comprehensive sense, focusing in particular on the soul and the knowledge of self.

 

Purposeful. Continuous. Knowledge of self. Complements traditional patient education. Self management. These are great buzz terms to encourage and motivate!

Think about it this way: if a patient feels bloated, tired, has heartburn, and suffers from abdominal pain they have a few options. They can come in and see us where they will probably be prescribed a medication to fix the problem. Or, they can try a few things at home. A la, self-care. Food testing by elimination or pairing is taking care of yourself! Treating yourself well by giving your body the right food to work and function well while not harming or causing pain to yourself.

There is a popular book by Gary Chapman called The 5 Love Languages which identifies ways we give and receive love. They are: acts of service, quality time, gifts, physical touch, and words of affirmation. I propose the way we give and receive love is also how we can show love and self-care to ourselves. For example, I am an acts of service and quality time girl. Therefore, when I visited with a friend recently I left feeling recharged and replenished. I could conquer the world! Well, the next week at the very least. If you find words of affirmation are a way to show love, perhaps journaling would be a good way to provide self-care.

Any activity (note: ACTION) you do that feeds your soul (or body) is an act of self-care. With patients in my care, I see a lot of inaction. A patient just this morning was describing ongoing back pain and was unsure why she was having such pain in such a specific location. She wanted to lose weight and exercise more, but she had a response to each suggestion I made to her. She may want to lose weight and exercise more, but her inaction will not get her to her goals. This patient, and most people, are still in the pre-contemplation phase of change. The self-care aspect is action. Being, doing, improving, repeating. Self-care needs to have momentum and intention. Just like above: purposeful, continuous, self-management.

Stay tuned for more on self-care!