Self-care: what it is and what it isn’t

July 24 is International Self-Care Day

There is a lot of information out there about the importance of self-care. Self-care is a buzzword that often gets thrown out and there are a lot of misconceptions about what it is and what it isn’t.

As the Canadian Mental Health Association outlines, self-care is the act of caring for ourselves to enhance our well-being. Often what comes to mind when we think of this is spa days, or meditation, or going for a massage. While these can all be forms of self-care, there is no one specific blueprint for what this looks like. The key thing is we want to do things that give back to ourselves and help us to feel more balanced, or to take away things which cause distress and imbalance.  Perhaps reading and going for walks helps us to feel balanced, so we may try to include these in our routine on a more regular basis. Maybe attending therapy or participating in groups is part of what helps with our self-care. It is important to reflect on what helps us to feel balanced and well.

When we have a chronic illness, like pulmonary hypertension, there are additional considerations along with this. Things we used to do for self-care may be more difficult or impossible, or things which we may be able to do one day may be more challenging the next. So, what do we do then?

First, we may consider ways we can engage in some of the self-care activities we used to enjoy in a different way. It may not be reasonable to go long distance running anymore, but maybe we can go on shorter, slower paced walks a few times a week. Maybe we used to really enjoy hot yoga, but chair yoga is more reasonable now. Maybe brunch with friends is more challenging due to energy levels and dietary restrictions, but perhaps we can have them over for tea every few weeks potluck-style.

Additionally, consider accessing peer support services. The wonderful peer mentors know what it is like to have pulmonary hypertension and can provide you with some valuable tips to engage in self-care.

The PHA Canada website also has various handouts and resources to help you if you are having difficulty coping.

Having pulmonary hypertension doesn’t mean that we cannot engage in self-care. It just means we may need to modify what it looks like a bit and be reasonable and kind to ourselves in our expectations.