This summer I attended an event hosted by Rooted Thoughts, a Los Angeles based hair education platform. #ARootedNight delivered on its title. Tasty food & drinks, diverse backgrounds of the attendees, and candid progressive conversation all made this night refreshing and inspirational. The speakers ranged from corporate curriculum developers to energy healers. The thread that tied it all together was the theme of self-care. The idea that you must fill up your reserves before you pour into anything else became apparent by the end of the night. We are beautiful and kind creatures. We all want to help make this world a better place. However, in our pursuit of saving the world, we forget to help ourselves. We become out of touch with our own needs because we have put more effort into tending to others. Though noble, these habits can lead to early burn-out or even a total mental breakdown.
Burn-out Interventionist, India Dunn, spoke about the term “compassion fatigue” aka burn-out. She described it as “a general lack of excitement for work, being tired all the time, preferring isolation, getting migraines, excessive food/drugs/TV, numbness or zombie-like feelings. As she talked about the symptoms I contemplated about my own experiences. I realized that most of my clients and I have been on the verge of a complete burnout. Personally, I had to take a step back from work that I love to do. The onslaught of new clients and business opportunities put a lot on my plate. In the process, I failed to take care of self and started to feel overwhelmed. I even considered changing careers. It was starting to take a toll on my relationships, then my peace of mind, and finally my business. The things I’d worked so hard for were so close I could see the finish line, but I had no energy left to actually cross it. I had to stop. I didn’t work for over three months and it took me an entire year things back in order. I understand we all don’t have that luxury so my hats off to those who have persevered for decades! But it’s time give back to ourselves.
I appreciate that experience. It re-sparked my love for massage therapy by helping me deeply understand that massage is a holistic way to manage stress. People need this! For that, it is a Divine gift. I learned that life is a marathon. We have to fundamentally understand that speeding through our short and long-term goals leaves us no time to stop and smell the roses. We have become so overproductive that it's becoming counterproductive. If we forget to tend to ourselves and our relationships we won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor with the ones we love. Forgetting to self-care is not saving you time or money. It’s an expensive ticking time bomb! Costly and time consuming problems like injuries, high blood pressure, ulcers, mental breakdowns, anxiety, lack of intimacy, even some diseases can be prevented. We can be ambitious creators and still maintain great health and relationships. All we have to do is plan and practice until it becomes a habit.
We at Holistic Therapy Professionals believe it is our mission to create personalized self-care regimens that facilitate the bodies own self-healing properties to prevent burnout and injury. Our latest series #Back2Us is created for couples to maintain peace and support within their relationships. We call this Partner Care and its next step in your self care regimen. Our partners play a large role in how we feel, right? This couples massage class will help to maintain a therapeutic environment within your home. Click the link here for more information.
For more information on Compassion Fatigue and burnout www.indiadunn.com