Self-care practices

Self-care practices

Part 1

Self-care has a positive effect on our mental health as it alleviates symptoms associated with depression and distress. Self-care practices, directly and indirectly, affect our physical and emotional health as well, thus reducing or managing stress. As professionals, we have several responsibilities that we take care of. Because of the pressure of several things to handle and difficulty in setting priorities right, self-care comes in handy in managing such stressful situations. Taking a break for a given self-care practice like getting a massage can help us feel like escaping a stressful condition and taking a mental vacation which in turn brings a sense of mental relaxation.  Self-care generates the relaxation response in mind and allows us to come back to the reality of life feeling reenergized, relaxed and refreshed. A study was conducted to determine the effect of self-care and wellbeing on mental health professionals. The study specifically sought to explore the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-awareness. In the study findings, the data revealed showed that mindfulness greatly mediates between self-care and wellbeing and they recommended that mental health professionals should continuously involve in self-care practices (Richards, Campenni, & Muse-Burke, 2010).

According to Australian Health Policy Collaboration, engagement in healthcare activities such as quitting smoking, doing exercises and a healthy diet are essential in promoting self-care among professionals. The report suggests that individuals are willing to take personal responsibilities to boost their health and family’s health as well through self-care. Self-care policymakers insist on developing more self-care interventions and programs aimed to handle risk factors that lead to poor health like lack of exercise, smoking and obesity. Australia and other parts of the world continue to undertake plans of promoting programs related to self-care, which have a potential of significant influence on future policy-making decisions (Duggan, Chislett, & Calder, 2017). We should have a proper and comprehensive self-care plan to manage our stressful situations, promote our health and wellbeing and consequently maintain our professionalism as we relate with other people. In this regard, as professionals, identification of a self-care practice that enhances professionalism like reading professional journals would be of a significant impact of increasing our engagement in self-care, relieving stress in the workplace and strengthen our professional work consistency. It is therefore essential to identify a suitable practice that would sustain a positive self-care in the long run and support our wellbeing at personal and professional levels.

The Australian state governments’ involvement with the private health industry in Australia plays a vital role in providing additional support to maintain our self-care. A global rapidly increasing interest in self-care has prompted the Australian governments to promote healthcare systems to adapt to the social change of the environment and tackle the spread of chronic diseases and other infectious diseases. In an attempt to achieve this, the policymakers in Australian governments grapple with bringing the change and reforms in self-care systems to alleviate chronic diseases and other diseases that are associated with lack of self-care among individuals and professionals. However, the process implementation by the policymakers is slow. For this reason, the Australian health systems in collaboration with the private health industry have involved private health insurers in supporting and promoting self-care through the provision of management practices of chronic diseases and healthy lifestyle promotion programs to members. Australian governments have a strong historical background of actively developing health systems and a National Fitness Act 1941 was passed by the Australian Federal Government in 1947 to improve youth’s fitness and adequately prepare them to take the roles in the armed services. To influence the act, there were sufficient federal funds at local levels which promoted programs, promotional campaigns, infrastructure and education to help in achieving physical fitness (Duggan, Chislett, & Calder, 2017).

References

Duggan, M., Chislett, W. K., & Calder, R. (2017). The state of self-care in Australia.

Richards, K., Campenni, C., & Muse-Burke, J. (2010). Self-care and wellbeing in mental health

Professionals: The mediating effects of self-awareness and mindfulness. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 32(3), 247-264.