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Brass Tacks: Making Self-Care Practical
Show Notes:
As we near the end of our 5 week series on self-care, this episode focuses on getting practical and ensuring you are equipped to build a plan that will stand the test of time. Here are the key areas we talk about during this episode:
1. The core of what we are doing here is showing care, make sure you are orienting your plan back to this over and over again.
2. It has to fit. Make your plan flexible and diverse so it can meet the changing needs of your daily life and circumstances. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket – make sure you have ideas that you can use if you are sick or hurt, if you are in an especially hectic time and need to squeeze self-care into less time than usual… Anticipate scenarios and proactively construct contingencies.
3. Keep it repeatable and consistent. Our brains learn through repetition, and your brain loves consistency. While not every action will be a daily part of your routine, engaging in efforts of care often and consistently will be key to helping your brain and body learn to calm, regulate, and experience safety and trust – which are all significant in helping to prevent/reduce the impacts of stress, burnout and even trauma.
4. Your plan needs to transcend location and context. To be sufficient to flex to your changing days, you will need enough diversity in your plan to shift from flying solo at home to being in a group training at work, to cheering on the sidelines of your kids soccer tournament…and everything else you run into.
5. Best when shared. New routines are most likely to succeed when shared with others. It engages a sense of commitment, possibly even accountability, that supports our success. Tell someone about your plans, and share how they might be able to help you be successful.
6. Review regularly. Check in with yourself on a semi-regular basis. How is it going? How have you been feeling? Are there areas of your plan that need improving or could be honed? Check in with those close to you, what have they noticed about the changes you’ve been making? Are there areas they see that could use improvement? Use this to catch stumbling blocks early and pivot your plan to keep out of the weeds. Here is the prompt I suggest in the show: "I’ve been working for the last little while on practicing more self-care to help me manage my stress. I wonder if you have noticed any changes in me, and if you could help me reflect on what is going well and what I could continue working to improve on.”
Your plan will be uniquely your own, and it will change over time. Let it. Allow it to grow with you as you continue to grow and evolve. Be an active participant in your plan, review often and don’t let it get stale. Experiment, let it be fun. And remember, we are working at this to pour into you – because this world needs you, and you do best when you are taken care of.
Episode Challenge:
If you have started drafting a plan, consider applications from today’s episode to ensure it is as practical and useable as possible!
Join the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers (registration closes March 1, 2021)
Additional Resources:
Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers
Connect, Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share!
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, or email me at [email protected]. I love hearing from you! Subscribe and share this podcast with those you know. I appreciate every like, rating and review – every single one helps this podcast to be seen by other First Responders & Front Line Workers out there. Help me on my mission to help others just like you to not only survive, but to thrive – both on the job and off.
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By Lindsay Faas
5
55 ratings
Show Notes:
As we near the end of our 5 week series on self-care, this episode focuses on getting practical and ensuring you are equipped to build a plan that will stand the test of time. Here are the key areas we talk about during this episode:
1. The core of what we are doing here is showing care, make sure you are orienting your plan back to this over and over again.
2. It has to fit. Make your plan flexible and diverse so it can meet the changing needs of your daily life and circumstances. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket – make sure you have ideas that you can use if you are sick or hurt, if you are in an especially hectic time and need to squeeze self-care into less time than usual… Anticipate scenarios and proactively construct contingencies.
3. Keep it repeatable and consistent. Our brains learn through repetition, and your brain loves consistency. While not every action will be a daily part of your routine, engaging in efforts of care often and consistently will be key to helping your brain and body learn to calm, regulate, and experience safety and trust – which are all significant in helping to prevent/reduce the impacts of stress, burnout and even trauma.
4. Your plan needs to transcend location and context. To be sufficient to flex to your changing days, you will need enough diversity in your plan to shift from flying solo at home to being in a group training at work, to cheering on the sidelines of your kids soccer tournament…and everything else you run into.
5. Best when shared. New routines are most likely to succeed when shared with others. It engages a sense of commitment, possibly even accountability, that supports our success. Tell someone about your plans, and share how they might be able to help you be successful.
6. Review regularly. Check in with yourself on a semi-regular basis. How is it going? How have you been feeling? Are there areas of your plan that need improving or could be honed? Check in with those close to you, what have they noticed about the changes you’ve been making? Are there areas they see that could use improvement? Use this to catch stumbling blocks early and pivot your plan to keep out of the weeds. Here is the prompt I suggest in the show: "I’ve been working for the last little while on practicing more self-care to help me manage my stress. I wonder if you have noticed any changes in me, and if you could help me reflect on what is going well and what I could continue working to improve on.”
Your plan will be uniquely your own, and it will change over time. Let it. Allow it to grow with you as you continue to grow and evolve. Be an active participant in your plan, review often and don’t let it get stale. Experiment, let it be fun. And remember, we are working at this to pour into you – because this world needs you, and you do best when you are taken care of.
Episode Challenge:
If you have started drafting a plan, consider applications from today’s episode to ensure it is as practical and useable as possible!
Join the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers (registration closes March 1, 2021)
Additional Resources:
Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers
Connect, Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share!
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, or email me at [email protected]. I love hearing from you! Subscribe and share this podcast with those you know. I appreciate every like, rating and review – every single one helps this podcast to be seen by other First Responders & Front Line Workers out there. Help me on my mission to help others just like you to not only survive, but to thrive – both on the job and off.