Effective Practitioner-Care takes a Deep Dive.

When it comes to professional self-care, it takes more than a check list and good intentions to make it work. Many practitioners who work with people are very much aware of what the self-care principles are, what areas need attention and tending to and even how to do these things.

Often it part of our jobs to support others in taking care of themselves and supporting their wellbeing, be it physical, mental or emotional. Our support and services can even be the key element that moves the dial for our clients, from a place of struggle to a place of balance and wellbeing.

So why is it that many of us struggle over the longer term to care for and protect ourselves from the inevitable challenges of our work? Why is that we often find ourselves lamenting that we just don’t have the time or space to "do self-care". Why is it that it often becomes an additional extra at the end of a long and unrelenting professional and personal to-do list? And why, knowing all we know in supporting others wellbeing does professional self-care often be a reactive, crisis intervention when we feel the wheels coming off the wagon rather than proactive and intentional that supports sustainable practice?

There are many facets to this but much of this comes down to a lack of understanding around what effective practitioner care entails. Our culture, organisations and conditioning don’t as a rule support and encourage rest and reflection. Although there may be much talk of doing our self-care there is often an unspoken psychological contract in place that frown upon this.

Therefore the time, space and reflection needed to understand and tailor our professional self-care needs to our own individual unique circumstances is rarely available and encouraged.

And the truth is it take time, intention and a willingness to deep dive into our own selves to draw out the necessary elements that when considered and coordinated effectively, create a practitioner-care pathway that is unique to you and effective in supporting sustainable self-care for your professional-personal self.

These 5-simple steps to move the dial in the direction.

1. Acknowledge that you need to proactively prioritise your practitioner-care plan to ensure your professional practice is sustainable and not running at the expense of your personal wellbeing.
2. Begin with increasing your self-awareness around your basics needs, patterns and how these influence your professional-personal life.
3. Consider your stage of life and career and how these ever changing elements need to be tended to and factored in.
4. Become aware of your signature stress response, triggers and what helps you retore equilibrium.
5. Finally, choose activities and supports that work for your life and your own unique personality and circumstances to care for your physical. Mental, emotional and relational self.

If this resonates with you and you don’t fancy working that all out on your own get on my newsletter where you will stay up to date with support and CPD offerings coming on stream around this or check out the current pilot 1-1 program below for more information. 

https://www.carolinenolan.ie/1-1-practitioner-care-program