Podcast Episode - Put your mask on first before helping others... Self Care for an Unusual Holiday Season
Chelli Pumphrey, M.A., Founder and Clinical Director at Trilogy Holistic Mental Health
Since mid-March our lives have been much different trying to adapt and be safe while living through a pandemic. Everyone has a different story, different stressors and a different experience but it’s probably safe to say we have all had periods of feeling down and stressed. I have been wanting to better understand how to take care of myself, my family and my team during these stressful times. For Episode 16 of the News from the Peak, I brought in a friend and an expert Chelli Pumphrey, M.A., Founder and Clinical Director at Trilogy Holistic Mental Health. The basic take away is simple. To take care of others you need to put your mask on first.
You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Anchor and more. As always… listen all the way to the end for some bonus content. (#outtakes)
This concept of self-care is very difficult, especially for a lot of us in the human services and court industries who got into the careers we did to help others. During the beginning of the pandemic, there seemed to be a great sprint of helping others and running on adrenaline. As we all started to learn that this was not just a matter of staying inside for a few weeks, and this more likely going to be a marathon a different set of emotions set in, isolation for some, despair and hopeless for others. The pandemic has caused so many to loose jobs, have lasting health effects, loose loved ones, and many other negative effects. The effects of these can be or look like post-traumatic stress disorder.
How with all that is going on can we take care of ourselves and one another?
In the podcast, we talk about examples of the friends who’ve written books, composed music, learned a new language what makes the difference in someone who can flourish even in stressful times and someone who doesn’t? Chelli tells us the difference can be leaning in. If you can find joys and simple pleasure … focus in on that. She also talks about how sometimes we need to look at things with a smaller view. The 50,000 foot view, we see the crisis around the world, what’s happening and how it impacts things years from now, and it can be overwhelming to say the least. Sometimes we need to focus in more on the 50 foot view – and focus on what we can control, what we can do today, and let ourselves set aside those bigger worries for a time when we aren’t so overtaken with everything.
An important part of self-help and Self Care is knowing when you can’t do it by yourself. How to know if you need to get help? If you are experiencing symptoms of depressions such as loss of appetite or increased appetite, loss of excessive sleep, trouble experiencing pleasure in things that you used to find pleasure in, and these symptoms seem prolonged it may be time to seek outside help. If you are experiencing thoughts of hurting yourself please seek help immediately and know that it is ok to ask for help.
Here are some links to services that Chelli provided us from her area of practice. I’m sure there are similar services wherever you are.
Denver Family Institute (Affordable Counseling and Training Center)