Maintaining our own emotional hygeine through better self care

Being in the business of looking after the health of others is definitely not an easy job.

One of the hardest things about our job is being mindful of our own feelings and emotions, as these can be “contagious” or “transferable”. It’s important to look after and maintain our own “emotional hygeine”. Of course, this is often in the context where our patients are unable to maintain theirs, due to their own health issues.

If our own feelings are predominantly anxiety, uncertainty, and fear, then we may have difficulties in helping our patients with anxiety, uncertainty, and fear.

If it’s care, curiosity, and compassion, then that may be more compelling than the anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. 

We don’t just “lead or facilitate with thought”, we do this with feelings as well, whether we are aware of it or not.