INTHEBLACK Mental Health 2021 - Magazine - Page 22
Mental Health and Resilience
W O R K S M A R T // S E L F - C A R E
ARE YOU
DOING
SELF-CARE
WRONG?
TH E COMMOD IF ICAT I O N O F SE LF-CA R E H AS T U R N E D I T
INTO A S OURCE OF A N XI E T Y, GU I LT A N D FA I LU R E. H E R E’S
H OW TO BUIL D I T M O R E FLU I D LY I N TO DA I LY LI FE.
STORY LINDA MOON
D
ue to the ongoing pandemic, self-care
has been elevated to a national pastime.
From the community collective urging
weekly check-ups on friends and family,
traditional mastheads promoting mental
health and social media feeds preaching ways
to stay sane, it can all be a little overwhelming.
Instagram, alone, has more than
35 million posts with the trending #selfcare
hashtag – many of them evidence that we
have misunderstood (or conveniently
stretched) the concept to suit our foibles.
Along with the harmless – bubble baths, Netflix
binges and cheesy inspirational quotes – there’s
also the more damaging, such as over-indulging
in comfort food, alcohol and cutting ourselves off.
Transitioning Well, defines self-care as the
intentional act of looking after your mental,
emotional and physical health and wellbeing.
“It’s getting out of auto pilot to work out
what we need and make sure our needs are
met,” she explains.
Self-care is the critical refuelling that allows
us to cope with the challenges of life.
It also includes more abstract actions such
as managing our self-talk and living true to
our values and passions.
Cotton says understanding what self-care
means to you involves identifying what things
“feed” you. “Because there’s only 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, it’s about being clear
on what’s most important,” she says.
UNDERSTANDING SELF-CARE
OFF-TRACK WITH SELF-CARE?
Dr Sarah Cotton, a Melbourne-based
organisational psychologist, work–life
wellbeing expert and co-founder of
22 ITB October 2021
There is a lot of confusion and blurring around
the concept, Cotton says. Here are some
important things to understand about self-care.
1. Self-care is not selfish
Cotton explains that guilt is a common
barrier to self-care, driving many of us to
put ourselves last “because people think
it’s selfish”.
“We would never dream of leaving our cars
to run out of petrol and then expect them to
just keep running.
“If we don’t refuel ourselves, how can we
be any good to anyone else?”
2. Self-care is not an occasional treat
For various reasons – including busyness and a
view of self-care as non-essential “fluff” – many
view it as a one-off activity in response to a crisis,
or a luxury treat, like a massage, Cotton says.
However, self-care is vital and something we
should practise all the time.
“It’s getting back to basics,” Cotton says.
“Are you eating well? Are you prioritising
sleep? Are you staying active?” Given our