Women’s Health & Mental Health: Self Care
Self Care
“Self care” is such an important piece of our mental health and physical health. The use of the term has become prevalent and popular in our conversations, but many of us may not have a clear idea of what it truly means or how to implement it in our everyday lives (and no, it is not just a spa treatment!).
In the 1950’s, Sydney Katz created the term Activities of Daily Living (ADL) to describe the self-care tasks involved in taking care of oneself independently. The domains include basic ADLs, like movement, eating and hygiene as well as more advanced skills, such as going to get groceries, running a household, taking medications, communicating with others, navigating transportation and money management. (Check out the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for more information on Katz’s research here: Activities of Daily Living - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)).
If we view “self care” in these more concrete terms, it allows us to create goals that improve our day to day life and complete our ADL’s each day. This will look different for each person because our needs are all unique! What self-care do you need in order to manage your physical, mental and emotional activities of daily living? In other words, what do you personally need to fill up your energy gas tank?
Exercise
Photograph by Jozsef Hocza
We know the physical benefits of exercise, but let’s talk about the mental health benefits! Exercise allows us to better manage stress by releasing feel good hormones (endorphins and dopamine) which communicate with your brain to decrease pain signals, decrease feelings of depression and lower levels of anxiety. Research in the field of neuroscience provides data that not only can the brain continue to generate new neurons in adulthood (a process called neurogenesis), but this is actually linked to exercise! A large part of neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus, which controls our memory and learning, as demonstrated in the research by Liu and Nusslock here: Exercise-Mediated Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus via BDNF (nih.gov)
Meditation
A new study by the American Osteopathic Association shows that mindfulness techniques taught over an 8 week course greatly reduced patient perceptions of pain and decreased levels of depression, shown here: (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Management of Chronic Pain and Its Comorbid Depression | The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (jaoa.org)). This is excellent news for the pelvic pain world! A trained therapist can help teach and guide exercises for you to use on your own throughout the week. A great place to start for loving kindness meditation is Tara Brach’s guided meditation for radical self compassion: Tara Brach Leads a Guided Meditation: The RAIN of Self Compassion - YouTube and Guided Meditation: Light RAIN in Difficult Times, with Tara Brach - YouTube
A-Team Doctors
Photograph by Annie Spratt
Holistic wellness is achieved by a team of doctors who are fully assessing your individual needs. Your team may consist of a nutritionist, pelvic physical therapist, pelvic physiatrists, therapists, acupuncture, or a surgeon. Take time to research what services are close to you and areas you could use more support in!
Leisure
Photograph by Zach Betten
How do you recharge in your free time? Leisure for you may be taking hikes or escaping into a good book. Taking time to laugh with your old favorite television comedy or reconnecting with a friend (even if it is virtually!). Take an inventory of your leisure time. Find a reasonable stopping point at the end of the work day and take time to recharge. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup! Take care of yourself so you can continue to show up for those who count on you.