Reframing Self-Care Objections

There are a number of reasons why we may be inclined to neglect our self-care. At Woodward Health in Ottawa, our goal is to make it easier for you to take care of yourself, however that ends up looking for you.

Let's explore some of the common reasons why people skip their self-care, and then reframe them so that you understand why it's important to take care of yourself.

Staying home to cocoon in comfort can be a form of self-care if you don't have a lot of quiet time built into your schedule. However, when the lack of motivation to leave the house shows up regularly over the span of weeks or months, it can be indicative of other issues.

Lower motivation is a common manifestation of depression, seasonal affective disorder, PMDD, burnout and overwhelm, lack of sleep, or when needing to redefine your sense of purpose.

These issues rarely clear up on their own. Services like acupuncture, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy can all go a long way toward finding that motivation again. So while it may be challenging at the beginning to get started when you have low motivation, the benefits will make it worth it.

Your time is valuable and it can be challenging to carve out some time in a busy schedule for yourself. The issue with finding time is that if we don't specifically set it aside, we're not likely to find extra time anywhere for self-care.

You may even find that by making time in your schedule to take care of yourself, you end up noticing more time available to yourself. As you feel more rested and/or refreshed, you'll be able to complete tasks more efficiently, freeing up more of your time.

Health appointments can help keep you accountable on self-care time. It's easy to scrap your me-time when it's only in your own schedule. When your practitioner knows you planned to show up for yourself, it's much easier to stay on track.

Have you heard the expression "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? It can feel expensive to invest in your wellness, but the cost of taking care of yourself is minimal compared to the cost of letting issues grow.

Funding your health now will allow you to avoid costs related to more complex health issues that may lead to requiring work leaves or unfunded medications or procedures.

If finances are a concern, discuss your situation with your health practitioner. At Woodward Health, we'll do our best to help you find services covered by your private health insurance. If you don't have insurance, we'll help you find lower cost resources. And, costs not covered by insurance may be applicable toward the Medical Expense Tax Credit.

Self-care is actually very considerate of the people you'll be interacting with. Making time for yourself can help you feel more centred, grounded, and less reactive. It can help manage your moods and sense of overwhelm.

When you spend time with your family, do you feel truly present? Or do you feel like you're being pulled in many directions at once, or potentially overstimulated? Sometimes, showing up as our best selves to our family members requires taking time away from them to get organized, focus on mental wellness, and take a break from sensory overwhelm.

If your work schedule is a concern for you, mention it to your practitioner when you begin working together. We do our best to accommodate schedules. Your practitioner may offer appointment times before or after your work day. Your appointment can also be scheduled over your lunch hour, or virtually to cut travel time.

It can be helpful to have a discussion with your work supervisor, if you have one. By getting on the same page, you'll have a clear idea about when you can make time for your health and how you can enforce boundaries when your work schedule changes on a whim.

Taking care of yourself does often come with some growth and healing that can be uncomfortable. Despite the short-term discomfort, growth and healing are beneficial in the long run. When you make time for yourself, you can allow yourself to find healthy coping mechanisms and become more resilient. This will help you feel better equipped to handle future change with less discomfort.

Feeling ready for some self-care? Take a look at the Woodward Health practitioner profiles to see our areas of expertise.