How Do You "Self-Care"?

​The word self-care can sound like a daunting task. I mean, how on earth are you expected to partake in “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress” (Dictionary.com, 2019), when you’re stressed out and overwhelmed?! Sometimes when I am overwhelmed, thinking about doing anything “active” seems like just another task to add to my to-do list. 
 

We have all heard of the term “self-care” in this profession, as it helps with destressing, preventing burnout, and various other things! The idea of self-care has been drilled into my brain since day one of collegiate coursework. It’s important to take care of yourself so that you can truly help and take care of your clients. In the end, our profession hinges on the principle that everything we do in practice is for the betterment of our clients and being in our best mental health is a key ingredient to that.

I could give you statistics, and research on self-care all day long, but it feels more meaningful to answer questions that WE all have about self-care in every day life. Below are a few questions that were submitted by AMTAS members! I want to acknowledge that I am not an expert in self-care, and while I have done a lot of research on it and practice it regularly, self-care is experienced differently by so many people and I welcome a discussion about what works best for you. ​

How do you go about finding what self-care method works for you?

Just like with anything else in life, practice makes perfect! In my personal experience, I didn’t know exactly what worked for me when I started learning and practicing self-care. It took a lot of trial and error to find self-care routines that didn’t add on to the stressors of every day life. My advice to you would be to do some research about different self-care methods and try each one for a week! Give it a chance, but don’t be discouraged if that method isn’t for you. Every person is different, and every person needs something different to empty their stress cup and fill themselves up with peace and happiness. 

{Image found at joshuahook.com }

What if you don’t have time for self-care every day?

• “[I enjoy] journaling, candles, Salt Lamp Aromatherapy, journal[ing], a 10-minute cat nap/meditation, ROUTINE -- early to bed, early to rise…”- Anonymous AMTAS member

Daily self-care doesn’t need to be an elaborate and time-consuming event! Yes, every once in a while, it’s nice to go all out and pamper yourself, but sometimes we truly don’t have time to go “all out” every day. Remember that self-care doesn’t have to be a big gesture! It can be as simple as going to bed earlier, meditating for a few minutes, or going on a short walk. It doesn’t take much to give yourself some much-needed attention, and in the long run doesn’t only help you, but also your clients. Try to do some sort of self-care for yourself every day, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. 

How do you navigate your own emotional reactions to your clients' experiences that you may be able to relate to/ have had experience with in your past?

The biggest advice that I have found while researching this question is to have an outlet where you can talk to someone. There is a stigma against seeking out professional help in the helping profession career. We are in this position to help others, and for some reason it is looked down upon for us to have help when we need it. We can’t be our own therapists, and when we run into situations where our past experiences could potentially affect treatment, it is our responsibility to get help! There should be no shame in talking to a professional psychologist, if for nothing else to be able to open up about past experiences and process through any trauma we may not even realize we have. So, go talk to someone about these emotional reactions, and process why you are having them in the first place! Helping yourself cannot only make these feelings disappear, but also make you an even more effective music therapist. 

“I've found that seeking out and maintaining my own therapy has been a key piece in my self-care practice.”- Anonymous AMTAS member