Those of us who are caregivers know how challenging it is to make time for self-care. As a caregiver you do not have any downtime or time off. The primary focus of the caregiver is always on the individual/s being cared for.

It is not uncommon for caregivers to encounter insensitive folks who render thoughtless comments regarding the worth of those who care for others. Whether you provide caregiving duties in an institution or a home, the task can be quite daunting.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where the value of caregivers is discounted. As a result, those who engage in this noble task find it difficult to put aside time to cater to their own needs. Attending to one’s needs is not selfish, not by the stretch of one’s imagination, in fact, it is a matter of preservation and survival. However, despite this sad reality, self-care is critical in replenishing one’s self in order to continue the journey of caring for others.

The Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) describes self-care as the practice of looking after your health based on the knowledge and information you have. It is a decision that empowers individuals to look after their health, in collaboration with health- and social-care professionals as needed.

Self-care is a holistic approach to wellness. This approach includes physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Additionally, for some, self-care also includes taking care of themselves spiritually; otherwise, it could be as simple as having some quiet time each day. For some, self-care might mean enjoying themselves with friends, maintaining a regular sleep pattern, having a spa day, going to the movies, eating healthy, and doing daily exercises.

However, oftentimes, we tend to forget that those who care for others are loners and might not have that network of friends and/or support. Sadly, the voices of those are often muted in the discourse regarding self-care. The church community can be and should be a source of support. The truth is we do not place much value on the elderly and, regrettably, even the Church has been found wanting in this regard.

Actively managing your own health and well-being has numerous benefits, including better health-care options, better care for individual well-being, and better value for governments and health systems worldwide.

In 2011 the International Self-Care Foundation started International Self-Care Day to raise awareness about the importance of self-care to overall well-being. This day is recognised each year on July 24.

GSCF’s 2022 International Self-Care Day campaign builds on the #SelfCarePromise theme, which encourages everyone to make and share their personal commitment to embrace a specific self-care action. This year the focus is on resilience.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as individuals, families and communities promoting and maintaining their own health, preventing disease, and coping with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health worker.

HEALTH-CARE WORKERS APPRECIATION MONTH

July is being observed as Health-care Workers Appreciation Month, under the theme ‘Honouring commitment, service, and sacrifice’.

The nation’s 25,000 health-care professionals are being celebrated due to the sacrifices made by working on the front lines when the deadly novel coronavirus first struck the island on March 10, 2020. Jamaica, to date, has recorded 3,182 deaths and an overall count of 145,633 COVID-19 cases.

The Government, during the course of the month, will be unveiling a monument in honour of health-care workers who died from COVID-19 while battling the disease on the front lines.

WHY IS SELF-CARE SO IMPORTANT?

Self-care is about empowering people to be active agents in their own health. As well as being the right thing to do, with more and more pressure on health systems there is a great need for individuals to maintaing good health.

The WHO states that 4.3 billion people have inadequate access to essential facility-based health services, one in five of the world’s population are now living in a humanitarian crisis in which health systems are challenged to deliver essential services, and pandemics, such as the novel coronavirus; armed conflicts; and climate change have disrupted health services globally.

While self-care should not be viewed through gender-specific lens, most men are still uncomfortable with aspects of self-care. The gendered mindset needs to be interrogated for all sexes to be comfortable with self-care. No matter what kind of self-care you practice, you are bound to reap benefits. Having a healthier mind and body are the two main benefits. Other benefits include feeling less stressed and being less overwhelmed.

Self-care is very important for caregivers. It is easy for them to give all of their time and energy to another person and in doing so, neglect their own health, both physical and mental.

It is useful to check in on caregivers occasionally, just to find out what is happening. Do something special for a caregiver or health-care worker. Let us salute our hard-working health-care professionals during this month of appreciation. Make time for yourself. Happy International Self-Care Day!

In the words of inspirational writer Eleanor Brownn, “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com