Self-care, what does it mean to you? I was drinking coffee with a friend recently when we were talking about how busy we were and what was taking up all our time. She laughed and said, "Who am I trying to impress?" Who, indeed.
I think for me, working in healthcare means that I want to help people. Sometimes I do this to the detriment of my own health, that extra shift or extra hour spent working takes away from my time that I need to regroup and rest. It's too easy to spend another hour working once you're there or engaged, and I think on some level the joy we derive from work helps to drive our self-esteem.
When, though is too much too much? This is the question we have to ask ourselves. Before saying yes to that next thing, no matter what it is, ask ourselves what else we could do with that time. Is it worth it to give up a whole day (or night) which we could use spending time with friends and family, resting, exercising, meditating, or even reading a novel for fun? Take a minute next time you're asked to work that extra shift, and ask, "does this serve me?" Always allow yourself the freedom to say No.
