by Nicole Sherr
Here’s a secret you should know about people who work in mental health: they’re human too. They experience stress and anxiety, struggle with fatigue due to the workload, and struggle to maintain a work-life balance.
Having a career in mental health does not magically prevent someone from experiencing their own mental health problems. What we do know is that mental health professionals often put their knowledge to work in their own lives practicing self-care as a cornerstone of their overall health.
Just as you might be curious about a doctor’s diet and exercise regimen, we wanted to learn more about specific self-care rituals and practices from the mental health and trauma experts at MindWise.
Dedicated to World Mental Health Day on October 10thRead on for our clear ways to take care of your mind every day.
How do Team MindWise members take care of themselves?
Becky – “At the end of every day, my dog comes home from kindergarten, we always go for a walk and talk about that day (good and bad).
Brian – “Every three to four days I wear noise canceling headphones and spend 45 minutes tending to my plants.”
David – “In the past I would try to get a little work done before I got my kids to school. But it was always difficult and inefficient, and no one was happy early in the morning. My new rule is that I don’t start work until I drop my kids off at school so I can focus. Then when they get home, I work again so they can have fun with them before homework and after homework.”
Julia – “I like to walk the dog in the afternoon to get myself outside in the middle of the day.”
Larry – “Walking, cycling and walking – everything outdoors. 3-R (Reflection, Adjustment and Relaxation)but I will try to spend some time in the reflection category. I remind myself of what we are all doing, the hope we have for positive results, etc. It’s always a good way for me to reconnect.”
Lisa – “I try to sit outside on the porch in the sun every day. I also eat Yasso frozen yogurt (pistachio or coffee flavor).”
Marji – “I like to clean things or organize things.”
Service – “When I drive to pick up my kids from school, I usually call my mom or my sister – but lately I’ve been trying to just listen to music and use the time to de-stress. It’s been a nice transition for me.”
Michael – “I try to find 15-30 minutes a day to get away from my computer for lunch. Then at night I play video games to escape.”
Michelle – “I organize things. I’ve also started posting pictures every week and grouping them by year. It’s a control thing.”
Vahida – “All the problems are taken care of. I send Instagram videos to my husband, my colleague Jenny and my children all day long. And I go for walks at night.”
Bonus: Sometimes work takes care of us
We often talk about the role that a psychologically safe workplace can have on employee mental health, especially for those working in high-pressure roles. As we were writing this article, an amazing example of how an organization can create self-care moments in the workday struck us at our bi-weekly team meeting. And it was very beautiful.
After talking about business updates, we were visited by Paco Lama on Zoom. Paco is a resident of Sweet Farm, a non-profit animal shelter that offers virtual meet and greets with cute and friendly rescue animals. Our staff was absolutely amazed and delighted to meet Paco over Zoom and take a virtual tour of the farm’s facilities. It was a great way to break away from the drudgery of our work and have a moment to laugh and relax together.
It doesn’t matter if your moments of self-care include time outdoors, a special meal or exercise, or a Zoom meeting with a llama: all self-care rituals are important and can make a significant difference in your mental health. We hope you have some new ideas to try.
