As a company built by parents, for parents- we understand the difficulties that come with divorce. One of the hardest parts of co-parenting is finding time for self-care, a time that’s necessary for revitalizing the energy needed to tackle your daily obstacles. This month, we decided to reach out to professionals on the subject of personal wellness to get some self-care tips. Here what they have to say below!
Quick Notes on Self-Care
Megan O’Neill
Health & Fitness Coach | Personal Trainer | Nutrition Specialist
“We all tend to think self-care is selfish when in fact it is the exact opposite. We need to take care of ourselves first so that we are at our strongest to care for those we love. Whether you are working from home or heading back into the office, taking small steps each day to care for yourself physically, emotionally and mentally is key.
Employee wellness programs are vital in maintaining a healthy balanced workforce. Now more than ever, stress levels are at a record high so companies should be asking their employees what they need to take care of their overall well-being.”
Megan’s self-care tips can be applied to professionals in all fields and at all the different hierarchy level. Perspective is important, but self-care comes first.
Self-Care for Men
Kennedy Bell
Author, “House of Straw” | Men’s Rights Activist
“As men, we aren’t socialized to express our feelings, thoughts, and emotions like our female counterparts. Men can suffer in silence with the separation and divorce process not knowing who to talk to or share what or how they feel. Men mostly avoid conflict at all costs and often times walk away from it all, including their own kids! Men are human and feel pain, grief, anguish, and depression, yet its’ rarely discussed. There are many resources available today to help men with these unique issues, including my book, House of Straw (Lulu Publishing)”
“Men need to realize that despite our ability to suck it up, our subconscious mind is soaking up all the pain, all the heartache, all the abuse, all the turmoil—and there is nothing your conscious mind can do about it once it comes to a head. We all have our capacities, but sometimes it gets to be too much, and it eventually comes to a head. If we don’t take time to grieve our loss and insist on stowing our feelings away in a memory cupboard to deal with later, we could very well end up having a nervous breakdown … in public … while you’re on a date … with no handkerchief … like me. Help is near and all it takes is for you to reach out.”
“My analogy for men is the following. Women hear the train. Women see the train coming from a distance. They prepare in advance of the train’s arrival. Once the train stops at the station, they are prepared to board the train and move onto the next stop in their life’s journey. Men don’t hear the train. When men see the train coming, they avoid preparing for the train’s arrival by rationalizing or making excuses or trying to fix whatever the train represents. The train arrives at the station, and men are ill-prepared to board it, let alone recognize it’s even there in front of them. The train leaves the station without them, and they are left holding whatever bags they have and no plan for how to move on. I help men make sense of and recognize the train”
These self-care tips are important for both men and women to understand – let’s understand and help each other. See more of our resources on the topic here!