We have dedicated this newsletter to self-care because we are regularly told that you are stressed or burnt-out. It is our hope that over time we will see systemic change across the industry which will reduce some of the major stressors, but we also want to give you a set of tools that you can use to improve your health right now.
Self-care and self-compassion were not historically part of our professional language, but it feels like we are gradually accepting the importance of looking after ourselves. Research shows us that self-care is important and makes us healthier– which means we can look after those we care for better. So everyone is a winner!
This year I started regular meditation and mindfulness practice using the Headspace app. This daily practice has made a big difference to how I interact with the world. Living in the moment is truly refreshing. As they say at Headspace, “a few minutes of mindfulness could change your whole day”.
I recently read two studies on the effects of self-compassion and the correlation with burnout for community nurses and student midwives. Both studies found that those who scored highly on measures of self-compassion were linked with lower levels of burnout. While this doesn’t surprise me, it is validating to have this confirmed by facts and figures.
If you aren’t sure where to start, I recommend this article that one of our team members has written on self-care; it’s full of easy and practical tips that you can try.