Give Yourself the Best of Yourself Not What is Left of Yourself
Reflecting on the privilege of having a neurobiology professor become a mentor, one piece of advice they always expressed was to remember that, “In order to give your best to others, you must first give your best to yourself.”
A big aspect of the identities of healthcare workers and caregivers is their love and desire to take care of others—but that love and desire can become all-consuming to the point that personal self-care is put on the back burner. While days are fulfilled with the satisfaction and pride of helping, healing, and taking care of others, it would be remiss to hide from the fact that days are also filled with long hours that are physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.
We had the pleasure of interviewing healthcare professionals, ranging from mental health, surgical, and nursing professionals and gained insight on how they practice self-care. What we learned above anything: that self-care is not only essential but will look different for everyone. It is imperative to find what practices work best for you as it will make you not only a better professional, but person as well.
In talking with mental health professionals, we discovered that bringing work home can be one of the hardest parts of the job. While it cannot be avoided completely, they shared self-care practices that not only helped with this struggle, but in turn helped them become better therapists and counselors. A student well-being advocate shared their self-care regimen that includes regular exercise, occasional meditation, lots of walks and hikes in nature, and time spent with family and pets. Other mental healthcare workers and professionals in the medical field have suggested that committing to a good nutrition, talking to a therapist, keeping a gratitude journal, and using positive-self talk (especially at work) are practices that have greatly improved and maintained their mental health as well as their perspectives on what it means to take care of themselves. It also ultimately led to them rediscovering an excitement and passion for their work in healthcare.
It is also crucial in identifying what is best for your mental health. In talking with a chief medical officer and general surgeon, we learned that it is imperative to identify signs of declining mental health as well as being our own advocates and finding those who will support our mental health decisions. This can look like communicating with bosses, employee advocates, and family members to not only come up with a plan to maintain mental health but to ask for help, as this is a battle not meant to go at alone. Advocating for yourself and asking hospital systems, private practices, and your company what programs they provide to support the mental health of their professionals is not something you have to earn, it is your right.
In talking with surgical professionals, we were moved by their humility and honesty as they described burnout as one of their toughest mental health battles. They worked their whole academic careers and lives to get to this professional point—how could they not be happy? Burnout can manifest in feelings of guilt, uselessness, anhedonia, insomnia, and distraction. While it is important to track these feelings, it is important to take the time to discern why you are feeling this way and what solutions will help. The self-care practices shared above are a beneficial option, but in talking with a NICU nurse turned oncology nurse, self-care practices can also include changing fields, scenery, and colleagues. This nurse expressed that working in the NICU was her dream field since she began nursing school at the University of Virginia. Over a few years in the NICU, this nurse found that she was less present outside of the NICU and less excited to go to work each day. The patients she lost and saw struggling seemed to hide and steer her away from the patients she saved and saw succeeding. She lost her love of being a NICU nurse. “How could I leave and where would I go?” “Will I make an impact somewhere else?” These were some of the questions she asked herself, but little by little she found the strength to identify what she needed—and that was a change in scenery. Now, two years as an oncology nurse, she has more flexible hours, more time to spend with her husband and their two dogs, and feels excited to go to work.
“If you don’t give yourself a break, you will be broken.” Practicing self-care is something healthcare professionals must prioritize so that they continue to find fulfillment, passion, and success in not only their careers, but their personal lives as well. You are worth it. You are deserving of the care you give to everyone else.
New Seasons
Your mental health may vary as new seasons come and go. While spring and summer can represent a new beginning for some, they can also evoke a range of unfavorable feelings in others. Continuing to invest in yourself, practice self-care, and be gratitude can be a great start to overcoming those challenging emotions.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, practicing gratitude and self-appreciation techniques can help the reduction in depressive symptoms. Practicing gratitude methods can also reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety. A single act of thoughtful gratitude can make a big difference.
Start participating in gratitude acts. Start with a journal. Write it all down in a notebook or pad. It is helpful to jot down a few things you are thankful for each day. It can then develop into something therapeutic as you make observations and reflections that can make you feel appreciative when you are having a hard time. Make a list of things that made you smile, or write about four things you are grateful for and utilize every day.
Invest into you. Make the greatest decisions for your mental well-being and look for support systems that can help you feel better and heal. Seek out for professional help as well.
At Invisible Wounds Therapy and Wellness, we understand that mental health and wellness are crucial components of overall wellbeing. We offer services for individuals who struggle with trauma and anxiety.
Our therapists, Rebecca Schaffner, Eygpt Buie, Adria Grey, and Zacharia Kabia are here to help you on your healing journey. All therapists’ have special training in anxiety or trauma treatment.
We prioritize your healing journey. Our team of therapists: Rebecca Schaffner, Eygpt Buie, Adria Grey, and Zacharia Kabia are here to offer support.
Rebecca’s Specialties:
First Responder Issues
PTSD
Anxiety
Egypt’s Specialties:
Anxiety
Depression
GREEK (sorority/fraternity) trauma
Adria’ Specialties:
Depression
Anxiety
Military Trauma
Zacharia’s Specialties:
Substance Use Disorders
Trauma
Mood disorders
Start your journey to a healthier and happier life.
The Holidays
The holidays may bring up old wounds that haven't quite healed for some people.
Trauma is the emotional, physical or cognitive reaction as a result of a distressing or disturbing situation that you may have experienced. Trauma is defined as "an emotional response to a traumatic incident," or anything that has caused a negative impact.
Stress and Trauma
The stress or trauma around the holidays is not just about the money and/or gifts. Holidays near the end of the year can be particularly unpleasant for victims of abuse because they frequently trigger painful memories and may worsen symptoms that potentially can negatively affect family dynamics. Stressors may resurface at this time of year due to the numerous emotions associated with gatherings and customs.
Setting up a support system before the holidays is an essential first step in managing high emotions. While your past trauma is beyond your control, you may be able to recognize your emotions, identify your triggers and find helpful ways to combat those prior to engaging in a potentially upsetting situation. You may also want to plan for a “safe person” to spend time with prior, during and/ or after spending the holiday with friends, family, or on your own.
To battle emotions of sadness, trauma survivors may need extra encouragement to exercise self-care during this time.
Loneliness
It's common to experience loneliness during the holiday season. Because loneliness is an emotion, you don't have to ignore it just because it makes you feel awful. All of our emotions provide us with useful information. Even if it might not be the most enjoyable situation, learning to be present with, observe or “sit with” it could teach you more.
Writing down your thoughts and feelings in a journal is a terrific way to be aware of your emotions. It may also be a cathartic release, which can help you focus on how you want to take care of yourself.
Mental Health and Nature
Any traumatic event will have an effect on a person's mind as well as their body. Everyone responds to trauma in different ways and deals with trauma in various ways. In the end, therapeutic techniques can direct you toward your healing. Many times, trauma impacts and interferes with how people operate in their daily lives, leaving people confused of how to truly recover from it. Always put your mental health first. A few methods to start the healing process are to seek professional help, practice self-care, and surround oneself with a safe and healthy environment.
But, what if, the healing process didn’t look so tradition such as sitting in a therapy room or practicing self care?
According to the American Psychological Association, nature offers a number of advantages that can significantly enhance mental health.
With present-moment awareness and a sense of being rooted in our body and connected to our surroundings, nature can help us find our grounding. Being in nature or even just watching natural scenes makes you feel better and less stressed, angry, or afraid. Not only does being in nature improve the mood, but it also benefits physical health by lowering your blood pressure, heart rate, muscular tension, and stress hormones.
In addition, nature provides us with pain relief. We are drawn to nature sceneries because we are genetically predisposed to find trees, plants, water, and other natural elements captivating, which helps us to forget about our suffering or discomfort.
Exposure to nature has been linked to a number of advantages, from taking a stroll through a city park to going on a day hike in the wilderness. These advantages include better attention, less stress, better moods, a lower risk of developing psychiatric disorders, and even increases in empathy and cooperation. The majority of studies to date have been on green areas like parks and woods, but now scientists are starting to look into the advantages of blue spaces, or locations with views of the ocean and rivers.
So, next time you find yourself overwhelmed, reacting to a trigger or feeling un- well, go for a stroll in your neighborhood, look at a YouTube video of the ocean or wild flowers, sit on your porch and listen to the sounds of nature, the birdsong. Enjoy!
Trauma- Informed Services! What’s that?
Trauma- informed services
What is a trauma-informed service?
We offer “trauma-informed” services. What exactly does that mean?
At IWTW, we understand the physical, psychological, mental, and emotional impact of trauma and the role it plays in a person’s life. Our intent is to ensure that our space is welcoming and engaging to our clients. We aim for you to feel safe, seen and heard and hope to help you heal both body and mind.
What is considered trauma?
Many may define trauma as an “emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, sexual assault, or natural disaster.”
We define trauma as anything that has left a negative impact on you, no matter how big or small. It can change the way you view yourself, others, and the world around you.
A trauma-informed approach
Trauma-Informed Care is led by five Guiding Principles that serve as a framework for how service providers and care systems can work together to lessen the risk of re- traumatization.
The Five Guiding Principles are; safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment. (what’s the source?)
With that in mind, both therapist and client work together in a framework of wellbeing which also provides better clinical outcomes when implemented. Providing a safe environment, physically and emotionally, allows for an open and honest therapeutic relationship while choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment provide respect for one another and the client’s narrative. These principles also ensure that the client is in charge of the treatment, so that IWTW’s therapists will guide, rather than direct and center the care around each client’s needs. This will allow for a natural or organic process of healing.
Trauma-informed goals
People require a sense of security and accommodations to make them feel welcome and comfortable in therapy or counseling sessions. As for our targeted clients—first responders, helpers and healers—can benefit from trauma-informed care as it provides a safe space for them to be treated as people first and can provide a toolkit to overcome their anxieties of stigma and differential treatment. Overall, the goal is to understand their jobs and the dangerous challenges they face on a daily basis while also realizing that "the job" is only one part of their identity and he or she may want to heal concerns not only related to work.
Listening and validating our client’s feelings and viewpoints is key. Throughout the counseling process the emphasis is on the client’s needs, and placed on the five guiding principles: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment.
Many people who suffer from trauma struggle to maintain positive, open relationships with their health care providers, however, trauma- informed care can help to break this barrier and cultivate a natural and safe healing process.
Sources:
Summary from Harris, M. & Fallot, R. (2001). Using trauma theory to design service systems. New directions in mental health services, Jossey-Bass, 89, Spring.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207195/
What is trauma?
What is trauma?
Trauma is the emotional, physical or cognitive reaction as a result of a distressing or disturbing situation that you may have experienced. Although, learning about an horrific event or witnessing it can be enough to feel overwhelming. When people think about trauma and its definition, the initial thought is believed that trauma only occurs as a result of abuse or a natural disaster. At Invisible Wounds Therapy and Wellness, we define trauma as "anything that has had a negative impact on you," acknowledging that no experience is too big or too small to deserve healing.
Understanding trauma, its triggers, and how to recover and manage it is critical. Trauma can transform the way a person views themselves, others, and the environment around them. Everyone's emotional, physical or cognitive response is different and the factors that influence it are distinct. Trauma can occur in adults as well as in children. Traumatic incidents can occur at any age and can have long-term consequences. While we can often “bounce- back” from experiences that have left a negative impact on us, without support, or left untreated, it can turn into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other “clinical” concerns such as depression or anxiety.
There are three categories of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex. Acute trauma is often caused by a single “recent” occurrence (often within the last 3 months). If the trouble you are experiencing as a result of it is left unsupported and untreated, it can lead to chronic trauma (reactions or symptoms lasting 3 months or more). Complex trauma is often the result of multiple exposures of “negatively impacting events,” within a short time- frame or life- time. For instance, childhood abuse or neglect.
First responders, for example, can suffer from chronic trauma and may be subject to complex trauma as a result of their life-experiences as well as demanding and dangerous work environments. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, “it’s estimated that 18-24% of dispatchers and 35% of police officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder”. Being the first to arrive on the scene, putting their life at risk and assisting people in challenging situations over long periods of time, including possible lack of sleep and self- care, can be very taxing.
The same is true for caregivers who may experience caregiver burnout or compassion fatigue, resulting in physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. Caregivers may witness traumatic incidents such as a loved one's medical emergency, repeated hospital emergency room and ICU visits, acute confusion, or devastating falls and injuries. These events can also be classified as a form of trauma. Caregiver burnout occurs when stressed caregivers do not receive the help they require, or when they attempt to do more than they are capable of, resulting in a shift in feelings from caring to compassion fatigue, a type of stress caused by caring for others. Unlike burnout, compassion fatigue strikes immediately leading to emotional and physical exhaustion and grows over time.
While all of the stress and traumatic events are occurring, it is best to seek help and healing.
Being honest with yourself, seeking support from family and friends and ultimately a professional can begin the step to healing. If you find yourself reacting more quickly than is helpful, experience difficulty sleeping, over or under- eating, nightmares, find yourself sad, isolating or very irritable, and often “triggered,” we encourage you to seek help. In therapy, the goal isn’t to judge or to discriminate, but to offer a safe space for you, a platform to process your history and a way to learn how to manage and experience well-being.