Self-care is self-maintenance

Image result for female mechanic pngSelf-care is self-maintenance.  It’s not just something that we do once or when we hit a crisis but something that needs to be a regular part of our life.    I was reminded of this recently during a physiotherapy session when I explained to my physio that after shoulder surgery and rehab 8 years ago, I assumed that my shoulder was fixed and would stay fixed forever…. how I was wrong!

As the physio explained that following surgery there are two phases of rehab; the first one to re-establish strength and functionality and then the second and ongoing phase of maintenance.   As I listened to him explain that to me, I found myself thinking ‘well that’s true for the mind’.

Both the mind and body work hard for us each day and so often we are completely unaware of what they do.  So many of our physical movements and mental processes become automatic over time, but life can and does throw challenges at us and so we need to make sure we are able to face them and navigate our way through them.

Much of the work I do with clients is to remind them that there are no quick fixes.   Their internal stress bucket needs to be regularly emptied; they need to make time to relax and have fun, to spend time doing what they enjoy and with people they like to be with and … take regular exercise too!  Yes exercise is good for the mind and not only the body – it releases endorphins and boosts neurotransmitters  and it gives us a break away from our concerns.

One of the most important factors in self-maintenance is becoming self-aware – just like you would notice an odd sound from your car engine, you can notice negative thoughts through self-awareness.   Yes ! Negative thoughts ! – we all have them but what’s important is how we manage them, how we react to them; do we allow them to take root and act on them or do we simply ignore them? The more we take care of ourselves and become self-aware, the more we can recognise that we have a choice over how to react to thoughts, feelings and actions – some we will recognise as being maladaptive which then allows us to choose to ignore them and replace them with ones which are more beneficial; would you choose an oil for your car  if you knew if was harmful to the engine? NO !  Sadly most of us will have gone through times in our lives when we look after our cars better than ourselves… but whatever we might have done in the past we can choose to change it, to find a better way ….. because as the advert told us  all … you are worth it !