Palliser Primary Care Network

Effective July 15, 2021, pregnant women should discuss their options for prenatal services with their family physician. For prenatal care you can self-refer to Badlands Medical Clinic (587) 289-0600. As you and your baby will need a family physician after delivery, we encourage you to click on “Find a family doctor accepting new patients”. Please contact them prior to delivery to ensure that hospital records can be sent to your family doctor.     

Self Care

By Wendy Fayad-Dennis, Behavioural Health Consultant             

July 24th, 2021 is International Self Care Day.  So: what is self care? Self care is an important activity for all of us. It leads toward a better balance among our mental and physical health and wellness (Glowiak, 2020).

Self care can be simple in theory, but is often overlooked (Michael, 2016). It can be as easy and as free as taking a walk or as complex as going back to school. Self care can include but is not limited to: saying no; buying things; refusing to buy things; eating healthy; getting enough sleep; making an appointment; taking a long walk; helping others; exercising; crafting; decluttering; organizing; stretching; listening to music; spending time alone; spending time with friends and family; singing karaoke (sometimes alone); intending to one day start meditating. (Donner, 2018).

Self care is not about being selfish. It is about being aware of our needs and knowing what we need to do to take care of ourselves. If we practice self care regularly, we are better able to help others when we are needed (Michael, 2016). During times of stress, do not let self care take a back seat to other responsibilities, as this is when we often need it the most.

Next time you are tempted to tell a friend you are too busy to go for your routine walk or skip lunch to check emails, take a deep breath and stop. Remember, doing small acts of self care every day will help you manage your stress and feel more energized so you can deal with unexpected situations that happen in your life (Anxiety Canada, 2019).

If you are interested in doing a Self Care Assessment, the website is listed below (#4).

References:

1. Donner, F. (2018, August 11). Self-Care: A Working Definition. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/11/style/how-i-self-care.html

• Glowiak, M. (2020, April 14). What is Self-Care and Why is it Important For You? Southern New Hampshire University. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2019/04/what-is-self-care

• Michael, R. (2016, August 10). What Self Care Is – and What It Isn’t. https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-self-care-is-and-what-it-isnt-2#4

• Self-Care Assessment (Worksheet). Therapist Aid. (n.d.). https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/self-care-assessment

Tool 1: The Importance of Self-Care. Anxiety Canada. (2019, February 26). https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/tool-1-the-importance-of-self-care/