Questions: How do we collaborate with our patients, or with our clinicians, to take action on behalf of health? What can we as clinicians or patients do to teach, learn and practice the tenets of the field of self-care?
Self-care is living consistently with the belief that the success of our health (emotional, physical, spiritual) begins and ends, not with “me,” but with “Me.” To teach and practice self-care comes when we understand that the essential self, the Me, is always worth fighting for, always worth the journey, always of value even in the throes of mental illness. Here at FriendtoYourself.com, we work to define and teach self-care daily, we attack guilt, we stand up to shame, we live as we choose despite stigma and we work harder than we ever have on perhaps the hardest job of our lives. Self-care is not weak but rather courageous. It brings us to humble accountability for our lives, not seeking to erase our history but still reminding us that we are free to start over any time.
I will be writing a series of blog-posts outlining self-care in which we will examine the tenets of self-care: self-knowledge, presence, moral neutrality, and connection. We will look at self-care as an essential practice for both clinician and patient, examining the ways in which a self-caring clinician may, in turn, provide better care to her patients, and patients take better care of themselves.
Self-Care Tip #260 – Clarify what it means to be your own friend.
By the way, check out a still unknown glorious writer at ASkirtAWeek.com.
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Friend to Yourself 
I have flu, going back to bed with your permission 😉
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i hope u r feeling better. just reading your comment, funny, i had the urge to go wash my hands!
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And the work done on and through FriendtoYourself.com makes a huge difference in the lives of those who work at it!!!
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thank u nance.
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I recently learned that my part of my self-care was taken my meds After a meal. I didn’t know my meds needed food to get the full effect. Who knew? LS
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this is awesome LS. so many things like this limit our treatment compliance. thanks.
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Hello Sana,
I was sitting here reading your post and I love what you wrote(Self-care is living consistently with the belief that the success of our health (emotional, physical, spiritual) begins and ends, not with “me,” but with “Me.). That is so true. No one can do anything for “you” until you start doing for “yourself” first. That is I my belief. As long as I feel that way I know will have success no matter what I do.
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Thx for speaking out Lynette! Somehow reading these back in comments helps them drive home what I try to say. Keep on!
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Yes, I agree with Lynn but want to add capital M for me and capital Y for You. So Yourself and self care for Me.To make Myself better.
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i like it!
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Great topic and post, when I was a single mother it was hard to put ME first. I always put my daughter first as many new first time mother’s do. After about a year or two I did get help for exhaustion and depression. That was the best thing I ever did. It taught me that self care if first in order to help my daughter, i had to take care of me first. She is now 17! We made it! LOL
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wow jackie! what a story! u sure did. so happy to share this w u.
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