Resolving to Care

I started off my New Year at work determined to start new habits. The glorious New Year's resolution plan. I even made a poster to encourage the thought process of self care as a goal for a resolution. What did I do today? Naturally didn't follow through with the promises I had made to myself, and they were little things like to put something in my mouth as a snack at least every three hours and fill up/drink my water bottle just as often. Self care is a hard concept to grasp and be okay with in a profession that specializes in putting others first. In my current state it carries much more weight when I realize I am not just caring for myself, but also the little human I am growing inside me. Then it feels selfish to not practice good habits. 

But why does it take having a baby to influence how I care for myself? I should be prioritizing basic human needs like food and water and bathroom breaks on the regular, and as nurses I think these little things are the first to give when we are focused on caring for everything our patient's need all day long. I'm not talking about long breaks, just simply the respect to myself to prioritize those needs as I prioritize everything else in a shift. 

"You can't care for others well until you have taken time to care for yourself". There is so much truth to the wise words of my mother. As long as no one is actively dying, taking 5 minutes to eat a snack to avoid being hangry is in my best interest in addition to the interest of those around me. Even such small acts of self care take practice. It's not something one can be good at unless you practice it regularly. It's like working out. You don't stay in good shape unless you keep up with your weekly regiment...and we all know the crazy crowds at the gym die down by the end of January when the New Year's pledge of consistent workouts tends to wear off...

So how do I resolve to care for myself? This year I resolve to listen to my body, to acknowledge how I'm feeling physically and mentally and process my days and learn from them. This is packing snacks so I don't hit a "hangry"low and take it out on those around me. This is checking in with myself and acknowledging my feelings so my emotional well-being is also assessed. This is acknowledging the feelings and basic needs of those around me and encouraging my coworkers to also advocate for themselves. 

I resolve to prioritize my health as part of a daily practice that strives for resilience. I resolve to care for myself so I that I know when I have hit my limits and can then take a step back and catch fatigue and burnout before they take over. I resolve to smile and take each day one at a time. I resolve to reconnect to my purpose and remember why I nurse and remember the privilege it is to care for those around me. 

I will not be perfect, but this year I resolve to continually strive for these things. Here's to a resilient year.