In the 1950s, a nurse, —Dorothea Orem(1)—, began to talk about the importance of self-care for maintaining human life.
In recent years, many nurses have researched the topic, and one of the most relevant aspects they have discovered is the relationship between positive mental health and self-care actions. Several studies have found a direct, two-way relationship between positive mental health and self-care, even if the self-care actions are physical(2,3).
According to Orem, self-care is the practice of activities that individuals initiate and carry out to maintain their own life, health, and well-being. Self-care is a human behavior, a learned behavior that has the characteristics of intentional action, is interspersed in the activities of daily living, and is not in itself an activity of daily living; Its fundamental characteristic is based on intentionality. (4)
According to Orem, the structure of the self-care process contains three sequences (5,6): a) investigation, formulation and expression of the person's regulatory requirements, that is, the self-care requirements; b) making judgments about the course of action to be taken to regulate the self-care requirements and then making decisions; and c) carrying out the self-care actions to produce the regulation of the requirements.
If we relate this process to mindfulness and traditional Buddhist teachings, research on self-care requirements has an important component of conscious attention ( sati ). Without sati, it is not possible to realize the requirements of self-care and therefore undertake any type of action.
Decision-making about the courses of action to be taken would be related to apramada. Apramada is defined as being very careful about what should be adopted and what should be avoided. In this decision-making, we would choose courses of action that distance us from suffering and not bring us closer to it.
Finally, self-care actions are kusala, or skillful actions. Actions that lead us to overcome suffering and discomfort, actions that are not permeated by the three poisons that drive the wheel of worldly suffering (ignorance, hatred, or neurotic desire). On the other hand, akusala, or clumsy, actions are those that lead us to carelessness or negligence.
The idea of introducing more self-care activities can be difficult and very costly in our daily lives with a lifestyle that is full of doing and doing more and more things.
From my point of view, Orem's contribution is very interesting because by saying that self-care is not so much about everyday activities but rather about integrating self-care into them, he can give us good guidance: it's not so much about DOING more, but BEING more in the actions we take.
If we want to increasingly benefit from the well-being that comes with self-care, we don't have to try to do more, but rather perform activities differently, one in which BEING is more present. This means honoring the smallest things that normally go unnoticed. Ultimately, it's about embellishing our actions with more appreciative conscious attention. This has nothing to do with the time we dedicate to an action, but with the appreciation we experience when carrying it out.
Here are some strategies to incorporate self-care into your daily life
Practice mindfulness. That is, try to be present and nonjudgmental with what's happening in each moment. One strategy might be to spend three minutes of mindfulness to connect with what's happening to us. Or perhaps during a moment of rest, we can connect with the colors, shapes, and smells around us without judgment, with curiosity and kindness.
Cultivate gratitude for the little things. You can take the first bite of your meal mindfully, being aware of all the people, animals, and elements that have made it possible for this food to reach your plate and become a part of you and sustain life. Or simply be aware of your senses and appreciate them as if you were becoming aware of them for the first time.
Play. Play is about curiosity, about the unexpected, and it fosters creativity, inquisitiveness, and mindfulness. Perhaps you can play a game of hunting your thoughts and observe whether they are negatively biased or filled with judgmental voices. If you find them, smile at them and remember that “thoughts are not facts.” You can always practice compassion to counteract that negativity.
Allow yourself to be in touch with nature for a few moments. Look at the sky and marvel at its magnitude and intensity, listen to the rustling of tree leaves in the wind, imagining their words. Or perhaps watch a child play, with shared curiosity and joy.
Connect with your friends and loved ones. It may be difficult to see them every day, but maybe you can make a quick call to someone you haven't seen in a while and find out what's happening.
Get moving. One of the self-care requirements most strongly correlated with positive mental health is movement and physical activity. Do something that involves activity and that you enjoy at the same time.
Practice meditation. Even a little is better than nothing. Just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference, and you'll notice how it gradually injects your daily life with serenity and practice.
Give thanks. Giving thanks is a good way to honor the little things in life. It helps us appreciate them and allows us to connect with the present moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment