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The term self-care is likely familiar to you. The concept regularly circulates through news articles and social media posts, and prompts reflection on the question, “what did you do for self-care this week?” Full disclosure: I really dislike the term “self-care.”
The expression often leads to a belief that a bubble bath and glass of wine will make all of our challenges disappear. Or perhaps we’re led to believe that if we treat ourselves and buy a certain item, we will feel better, and that purchase will take care of our self-care needs for the week. The truth is, self-care refers to individual needs that are far more complex. That’s not to say that a bubble bath can’t be a form of self-care: if that works for you, bravo! But self-care is unique to each individual and requires reflection on the needs specific to you. The topic of self-care takes on new meaning in light of our current pandemic. In truth, we need to be far more creative and intentional in how we engage in self-care, since many of our usual activities may be on pause for the next little while. What’s more, our cognitive and emotional resources are impacted greatly by the constant threat of the pandemic. Our minds are working overtime to process the evolving health crisis, and as a result, all of our resources - mental, emotional, and physical - are depleted. The amount of pre-pandemic self-care that we engaged in, may not quite refill our tanks as it once did. Pandemic or not, self-care is an ethical choice for music leaders Did you know that counselling psychologists hold an ethical obligation to engage in self-care? The Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists is clear that if a therapist is not caring for themselves, they cannot safely care for others. Makes sense, right? As musicians, should we not be held to a similar standard? No matter your area of musical expertise, you are in the people business. As music educators, directors, and composers, you are responsible for leading, motivating, and caring for others in their music-making. If you are not feeling well and cared for, how can you give to others? It’s true that taking care of oneself doesn’t always come naturally, especially to musicians. There are any number of reasons for this, but we can be deliberate in our efforts to plan and implement self-care strategies. Over the next two newsletters, we’ll take a look at a holistic model of self-care, and we’ll develop this model specific to your own practice. In the meantime, I encourage you to think about what self-care means to you: what kinds of activities are working for you right now? How have you adjusted them for our current pandemic? Dr Sara Brooks Feel free to reach out on Instagram and Facebook: @outsidethescore
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