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Why self-care? How counselling can be a beneficial addition to your wellbeing practices.




Individual putting gas into a vehicle.

I remember a time in my life when I was a young Mom with two busy toddlers. Life was chaotic, and my body was always sore. From lifting one onto the playground or bending down to play toys with the other, my back was constantly in pain. I remember actively having to plan appointments into my day to take care of my back, and even though these were needed, it still felt like it was coming at the expense of my time (which was very limited!). As I left a much needed Chiropractic appointment, the dash on my minivan indicated we were nearly out of gas. Without much hesitation, I pulled into the nearest gas station and filled up. I remember this moment very clearly... It was an 'ah-ha' to how I can put many things first, but rarely myself. Just like a service light showing on a vehicle, it typically saves you less time and money down the road to tend to that need sooner than later. I began to adopt this idea for myself. When we need something, we should listen to that voice. Even if it's small... It might be our body and mind telling us that we are truly in need of something important, maybe it's rest, a snack, time away from a project, or it could be that we need to connect with someone and really share deeply about what we're experiencing.


We are our biggest investment... We live with ourselves and grow, and just like any needed care and attention we may provide to appliances, our family, our job, etc., we need to truly consider what we need. And that is why self-care isn't just optional, even though sometimes it will look different than at other times, it is necessary to fuel our wellbeing for the challenges we face and to be present as we experience the goodness in life. I'm sure it comes as no surprise, but this is also my thought regarding self-care and counselling in how it can add beneficial care to your overall wellbeing. If it seems there is something, a need within, then reach out to a clinician and begin the process of tending to yourself. It may be hard, especially at first, but consider if it will be harder now or later, when potentially things have compounded. As I always say, you deserve support!


Danielle van Schaik

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