The Importance of Self Care and How to Avoid Burnout

#selfcare #forgiveyorself #selfacceptance

When I was younger I saw a sticker posted on the wall of my dentist's office that read, "If you ignore your teeth they will go away". I have to say that sticker really had a positive impact on me; since then I have always been diligent about taking care of my teeth and I love going to the dentist! Self-care cannot be ignored. It is easy to forget about self-care when you are balancing family, work and other responsibilities in your life. My experience at the dentist office was an example of physical self-care.

What is self-care? Self-care is a necessary part of living towards restoring your mind, body and emotions. Taking the time to do what is vital to living a quality life, whether eating healthy, exercising, socializing with your friends, enjoying nature walks or taking a relaxing bath, it helps to avoid burnout. Self-care is not selfish as some would think, it is a necessary part of loving yourself. Taking the time to self-care not only benefits you but also those in your life you love and care for can benefit as well to have you present, healthy and feeling good mentally, physically and emotionally.

Think about the priorities in your life, where are you on that list? Are you first or last on the list? Perhaps you are not on the list at all. You have value and matter! There are different types of self-care that are worth mentioning including rest, exercise, eating healthy, seeking professional help when needed, knowing your limitations, learning healthy coping skills, setting boundaries, journaling, building self-awareness to schedule breaks in your work day, connecting socially with family and friends to enjoy activities and events, self reflection, prayer, meditation or simply allowing yourself some downtime. Below is a list of the types of self-care:

· Physical Self Care

· Mental Self Care

· Emotional Self Care

· Social Self Care

· Spiritual Self Care

What are your self care goals? It could be that you will spend an hour reading a good book, taking a walk each night or waking up early in the morning to have some quiet time listening to music before you start your day. Also, learning to say no to overextending yourself with commitments to avoid being overwhelmed. Starting your own list of self-care goals is important and necessary but can be fun as well. The more you are in tune with your own self-care the more you will embrace it.

What is burnout and what does it look like?

Burnout is when you are mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. Have you ever taken yourself to the limit? That is caused by various factors such as having a heavy workload or schedule, stressors due to life transitions, living a life of "all work, no play", or having poor boundaries. Truthfully, we are not machines and being kind to ourselves is taking the time to recognize with self-awareness when our cup is almost empty. When we feel drained we are less productive and cannot live our lives to the fullest. There are warning signs of burnout and even the smallest of changes in our lifestyle can make the difference to taking care of ourselves. Ultimately, the small changes we make towards self-care lead to larger changes that can be more consistent and effective.

What are some symptoms of burnout? Some symptoms could include:

· Chronic fatigue and stress

· Feeling unmotivated

· Difficulty sleeping

· Neglecting self care and personal needs

· Social isolation

Self-care is for everybody, it is actually a gift you give to yourself. Burnout can happen to anyone, but, by having an understanding of the warning signs of burnout and growing in the knowledge of what self-care is you have the foundational tools to succeed in living a healthier, better balanced and resilient life. If you are presently struggling with burnout or would like to explore how you can start a plan of action to self-care, I can help you navigate towards having victory and peace of mind with implementing self-care goals to prevent burnout. I have an inspirational message in my office that reads "nothing changes if nothing changes", this is the time to make those changes that make a difference in your life.

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Jill DePeri, LPC

Hi, I'm Jill! I work with adults 18+.  My passion is to empower those I counsel towards healing, wholeness and to reach for their dreams.

Call to start your therapy journey today! 201-749-1750