Self-care For Psychologists

Psychologists are also human beings and, fortunately or unfortunately, they do not abandon this condition during their professional practice. In this sense, it is important that they take care of their health, especially given the risk that their profession foresees in terms of psychophysical wear and tear. Self-care for psychologists is an important aspect.

But how can psychologists take care of themselves? Of all the situations they face, which are the most dangerous? In this article we will try to answer these questions.

Psychologists practice their profession in different contexts where interaction is fundamental. Sometimes they are more dedicated to caring, others to leadership, education, etc. Regardless of their specialization, it is important to remember that if you are not well, it is difficult to be able to help others.

What is self-care for psychologists?

“Care” means having a commitment and constant attention in pursuing a purpose and the prefix “auto” indicates that you have to do it alone. By “self-care”, therefore, we mean the attention we give to ourselves to feel good.

As far as psychologists are concerned, self-care has to do with the search for well-being through certain practices. It is about protecting your health comprehensively.

1. Self-knowledge, a form of self-care for psychologists

Self-knowledge is an activity that all psychologists practice at various levels. It comes from both experience and meta-experience. This is an activity that has particular importance: it is very useful for psychologists not to get confused and avoid falling into the temptation to project onto others a part of what they know about themselves.

On the other hand, knowing yourself from a professional point of view allows psychologists to know which patients are able to help and which, instead, should be referred to another professional. A valuable skill that allows the psychologist to provide the best possible professional performance.

2. Self-control

Another form of self-care for psychologists is self-control. It consists of the ability to control oneself and to evaluate one’s knowledge and skills.

Self-control improves the well-being of psychologists because it helps them to identify and respect the limits established in a moment of reflection in which analysis must prevail and not the impulses fueled by certain circumstances. In addition to this, being able to manage assertively, it will be easier to connect with others on a personal and family level.

3. Resilience, a self-care tool for psychologists

Resilience is the ability to overcome problems. It is useful for connecting with others because you can share your experience and the path taken to face it.

If psychologists are resilient people, they will be able to face the problems of others with a force that allows them to overcome the resistance of the defense mechanisms.

It is often the case for clinical psychologists that a patient’s problems touch their soul. It is not something to be ashamed of. If they are able to overcome adversity, professional intervention will be helpful and will bring about positive changes in the patient.

4. Undergoing a course of psychotherapy is a form of self-care

Undergoing a course of psychotherapy is a good practice both for clinical psychologists and for those who work in other contexts. We must not forget that psychotherapy allows us to know ourselves, solve various problems and improve work performance. It is an investment that, made at the right time, can be very useful.

It is also in tune with the resilience and management of emotions, essential for the emotional, physical and social health of psychologists.

The constant interaction with others, in fact, causes a considerable fatigue that tends to accumulate with the passing of the days. In this sense, psychotherapy is a tool to control the accumulation of stress derived from work. The supervision of a psychotherapist allows psychologists to control those small professional “vices” learned over time during work.

5. Beware of social support networks

Social health is essential for psychologists. It is one of the forms of self-care that they must take into consideration. They need to pay attention to the kind of connection they make with others because, from a professional point of view, empathy is one of their basic skills and, on a personal level, a source of support.

To strengthen social support networks, psychologists must cultivate social relationships, especially with people who are rich within. It is important, however, to set boundaries so that others do not overdo it. From a professional point of view, social support networks can be seen as a therapeutic element, while on a personal level they allow you to show others how far they can go.

For example, if a person close to a psychologist says: “You who are a psychologist, help me …”, you can answer that you should not mix the private sphere with the professional one and explain how the therapy works from a professional point of view.

6. I take care of you and I take care of myself

The work of the psychologist is about caring for the well-being of people. This work, at times, involves him more than it should be.

In helping others, psychologists may neglect themselves. In the long run, this attitude will end up penalizing the quality of their work and the help they can offer.

7. Mindfulness-based practices

On this aspect, Dr. Nancy Morales helps us to reflect with her thesis, in which she collects various researches that have shown that psychologists tend to suffer from burnout syndrome if they do not practice self-care.

Being aware of your needs will prevent psychologists from reaching that point where a single drop is enough to overflow the vase of self-control. To improve awareness, various activities can be carried out: meditating, observing without judging, detaching from the results, accepting and letting go, listening to oneself, connecting with the present moment, etc.

8. Log out of work

Disconnecting means giving each moment its space. Psychologists need to understand when their attention needs to be controlled by their conscious will (for example when they want to rest) or when it is preferable to stay alert (for example during a visit to a patient).

It is also necessary to establish a scale of priorities in which the most important aspects concerning their physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being are protected. In this sense, here are some activities that can help:

• Exercise.
• See loved ones.
• Share time with your partner.
• Eat mindfully.
• Finding times to be alone.
• Joke.
• Dedicate yourself to art.
• Listen to music.
• Meditate.

Psychologists can take care of themselves in various ways. The important thing is to know the different options and to carry out the activities listed above frequently. It is a valuable aid to counteract the physical and mental wear resulting from their work.