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elf-care is a lever you can pull to prevent overwhelm or stop a stressed-out tailspin. However, over the past year or so, the term self-care has been marketed as superficial or luxury-type habits. Yet, it’s much more important than social media has led you to believe…
For individuals who work one on one with animals, oftentimes there is a personality type or a few types who are drawn to the work—those who may absorb or internalize the stress they encounter from the pets they care for daily. Without a way to neutralize, recalibrate and realign, there comes a tipping point…where you lose yourself.
This is why it is of the utmost importance that animal caregivers routinely “cleanse.” Just as you would shower daily, it’s necessary you tend to your energy and state of being. Emotional intelligence (E.Q.) guides you to change your relationship with yourself, for the better, resulting in:
- Reduced Levels of Burnout
- Deeper Sense of Contentment
- Higher-Quality Relationships
- Increased Earning Potential
Your E.Q. tunes your awareness to recognize, understand and manage your emotions as well as that of others.
I have worked with animals for over twenty years, so when I think of others, naturally, animals are included in that. By tuning your frequency—kind of like a car radio—you can tap into states of being that serve you in the moment when handling stressed pets and afterward when handling yourself and sorting through all the “input” that occurs on a daily basis.
Self-care is not squandering time, mindless eating, being “mean” or self-indulgence. Instead, it’s consciously creating congruence within yourself.
To determine if you’re living in accordance with your core values1—with what is most important to you—and acting in an intentional way to be the person you want to be, start by asking yourself these questions:
Next you’ll want to evaluate your current stressors. Similar to a mind dump—write out all the things that are causing you annoyance, discontentment or distress. Put it out there for the moment, for your eyes only, freeing up internal bandwidth.
Lastly, get out your calendar and deliberately schedule time for these various action steps. Include your significant other or whomever would need to know that you are carving out time to tend to these things. Plan time to “worry” so that you aren’t doing it at bedtime or at the dinner table with your family so you can remain present.
You become the leader of your life; life is no longer happening to you. This goes back to showering, because the practice of self-care—making the choice daily, throughout the day—is something that you’ll do from now on. It’s not a one-and-done thing.
become the leader of your life; life is no longer happening to you.
When you connect with yourself, you are able to mitigate risks and find creative solutions to your problems or things that bring you stress on a regular basis. You may even be able to implement changes in your workplace to reduce the cycle of stress shared by animals and their human caregivers. This principle and action steps will move you in the right direction to cultivate and continuously prioritize your wellbeing.
References:
- Machel, R. Core Values: Start where you are. Get MotiVETed. https://getmotiveted.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Copy-of-Core-Values-GM-.pdf
- Machel, R. A sample of top tools. Get MotiVETed. https://www.getmotiveteduniversity.com/courses/downloadable-templates