8 Self-care For The Well-being Of The Psychologist

To help others, we must be well. Faced with this imperative, there is an implicit danger to our professional practice: the wear and tear that can result from frequently dealing with the problems of others. Here’s what you can do to take care of yourself.

Psychologists are also human beings and we do not abandon this condition, fortunately or not, in our professional practice. In this sense, self-care is important in the exercise of our profession, in order to avoid wear and tear. Now, how do we take care of ourselves?

Of all the situations we face, which are particularly dangerous? By listing and describing self-care for the psychologist, we will attempt to answer these questions.

Psychologists work in different contexts. In all of them, interaction with people is fundamental. In some areas we are more focused on care; in others, we are dedicated to leadership, education, etc. Whatever the specialty, the important thing to remember is that without well-being we cannot help others to be well.

Self-care for a psychologist is necessary.

What does self-care mean to the psychologist?

According to Larousse, care refers to “acts by which we ensure the well-being of someone”. The prefix “auto” means, still according to Larousse, “oneself”. So, self-care would be this attention that we give to ourselves to feel good.

If we focus on the psychologist, self-health care would consist of providing us with well-being through certain practices. It is about taking care of our health in a holistic way. There are several ways. Let’s see them together:

1. Self-knowledge, one of the self-care for the psychologist

Self-knowledge is an activity that we all do to a different degree. It arises from both experience and meta-experience. For psychologists, this is an activity that is of particular importance: it is very positive for our profession to avoid falling into the temptation to project onto others a part of what we know about ourselves.

On the other hand, self-knowledge at the professional level will also tell us which patients we can help and to whom it is better to turn. It is a particularly valuable skill in clinical practice.

2. Self-checking

The psychologist also needs to control himself. According to Larousse, it is about “controlling by oneself a certain number of physiological functions or generally involuntary behaviors”.

It improves our well-being because it helps us to draw and respect the limits established in a state of reflection, where analysis prevails over certain impulses nourished by possible circumstances. In addition, by managing ourselves in an assertive manner, it will be easier to connect with others, on a personal and family level.

3. Resilience, one of the essential self-care

Resilience is the ability we have to overcome problems. Reaching out to others is helpful because we can share our experience and show the path that has been helpful in getting there.

On the other hand, by being resilient, we may be able to confront forcefully the problems of others who may evoke our own experiences, and which we often resist through our defense mechanisms.

Often times, as clinical psychologists, a patient’s problem touches our soul. We shouldn’t be ashamed of it. And if we have been successful in overcoming our adversities, they can be a transformative essence.

4. Undergo psychotherapy, one of the essential self-care

This is good practice for clinical psychologists and those working in other fields. Remember that through psychotherapy we get to know each other, solve problems and add value to our work. An investment which, made at the right time, can be very profitable.

In addition, this self-care is in tune with the resilience and management of emotions that are essential to our emotional health. It is also beneficial for our physical and social health.

Due to the constant interaction with others, fatigue tends to build up. Psychotherapy is a good tool to slow down this process. On the other hand, a well-done psychotherapeutic supervision could help us to file these small vices that we all acquire over time.

5. Watch out for support networks

Social health is essential for our well-being. It is therefore one of the forms of self-care for the psychologist that we must put forward. It is about ensuring our connection with others on a professional level, because empathy is one of our core competencies, and on a personal level, to have sources of support.

To improve our supports, we must cultivate relationships. It is also important to set limits, so that others don’t overdo it with us and we are better off. We can do this on a professional level, as a therapeutic element. And also, on a personal level, to show others how far they can go with us.

6. I take care of you and I take care of myself

In line with the previous point, the work of the psychologist is associated with the concern for the well-being of the other. An interest that sometimes pushes us to get involved beyond what we can assume in a responsible way to proceed.

In addition, in our desire to help, it may happen that we neglect to be there for the other. A dedication that, in the long run, will end up penalizing precisely the quality of the help we can offer.

7. Consciousness-based practices

On this aspect, Nancy Morales helps us to reflect with her thesis, by bringing together different surveys that have shown that psychologists can develop burnout if they do not practice self-care.

Being aware of our needs will prevent us from reaching that moment when it only takes one last drop to burst the glass of our self-control. To improve awareness, we can perform multiple activities, such as meditation, non-judgmental observation, letting go, listening, connecting to the present, among others.

Meditation is part of self-care for the psychologist.

8. Disconnect from our work

Disconnecting means giving every moment its place. It is understanding when it is better for our attention to be freed from our conscious will – for example, when we want to rest – and when it is better not to – for example, when we are in consultation with a patient.

It is also necessary that we establish a scale of priorities in which the most important points of our well-being are protected, i.e. the physical, the emotional, the social and the spiritual. We present to you some activities that can help you in this direction:

To exercise
Find your loved ones
Share moments with your partner
Consciously eating
Give yourself space to be alone
To play games
Practice an artistic activity
Listen to music
Meditate

In short, we psychologists can take care of ourselves in different ways. The important thing is to keep them in mind and to resort to them frequently: self-care is a precious help in coping with the wear and tear associated with professional practice.