Let’s clear up one common misconception from the get-go: Self-care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.

If you think you’ve been hearing more about self-care now, you’re right. According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015.  The well-being of farmers is key to a healthy agricultural sector. Yet, according to Farm Management Canada’s Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms research conducted in 2020 found that 45% of farmers have high stress levels and research from the University of Guelph found that almost 60% of the 1100 farmers were classified with varying levels of anxiety and 35% with depression. 

“Self-care is part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors,” explains Jan Thorson, the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Mobile Crisis Services and who leads the Saskatchewan Farm Stress Line. It’s farm and work stress. In farming, it’s the stress of factors outside of our control while also trying to keep up with the pace of daily life. “We are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slow down with mounting farming pressures of finances and workload, which can make us feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks. Make time to have fun. We grown ups are not very good at that, and it is really important,” shares Thorson.

What Is Self-Care, and Why Is It Critical for Your Well-Being?

Several organizations and researchers take a health-oriented approach when defining self-care. The World Health Organization defines self-care as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote and maintain health, prevent disease, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”

According to this definition, self-care includes everything related to staying physically healthy — including hygiene, nutrition, and seeking medical care when needed. It’s all the steps an individual can take to manage stressors in his or her life and take care of his or her own health and well-being.

As self-care has become more mainstream, the definitions have started to become more applicable to the general public and tend to focus on tuning in to one’s needs and meeting those needs. “Self-care is anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing,” says Thorson.

“That can be something that’s relaxing or calming, or it can be something that is intellectual, spiritual, physical or practical or something you need to get done. Self-care is all the steps you take to tend to your physical and emotional health in the ways you are best able to do so,” she says.

Self-care requires checking in with yourself and asking yourself how you’re doing and what your body’s asking for. Some people use it to deal with difficult challenges, others just to maintain their happiness day to day. 

On the other hand, self-care does not mean the same thing for everyone. Different people will adopt different self-care practices, and even your own definition might change over time. “What is self-care for one person will likely differ from someone else, and what’s self-care for you one day might not feel like self-care another day,” Thorson says.

Types of Self-Care

There are a few different categories of self-care:

• Physical self-care, such as prioritizing sleep, mindful movement or exercise, and choosing healthy and nourishing foods

• Emotional self-care, such as positive self-talk, hot showers, saying “no” to things that cause unnecessary stress, giving yourself permission to take a pause, enjoying an activity or hobby in peace, or setting up a weekly coffee with a friend or neighbour.

• Spiritual self-care, such as attending a religious service, spending time in nature, meditating or breathing exercises, incorporating regular acts of kindness into your day, or keeping a gratitude journal.

How to Start a Self-Care Routine

To get started with a self-care routine, researchers suggest:

1. Determine which activities bring you joy, replenish your energy, and restore your balance.

2. Start small by choosing one behavior you’d like to incorporate into your routine in the next week.

3. Build up to practicing that behavior every day for one week.

4. Reflect on how you feel.

5. Add in additional practices when ready.

6. Get support through sharing practices from loved ones, friends, a coach, a licensed professional (like a therapist or dietitian), etc.

Practicing self-care doesn’t need to be a heavy lift right out of the gate. Here are a few ideas to ease you into your self-care journey:

• Journal

• Start each day by paying attention to your breath for five minutes and setting intentions for the day.

• Eat breakfast.

• Reflect on what you’re grateful for each night.

• Put your phone on airplane mode for a half hour each night and excuse yourself from the notifications.

• Call a friend just to say hello.

• Take up a relaxing hobby, even for a few minutes each day or week to start.

• Create a bedtime routine (no screen time for 30 minutes prior, shower, drink a glass of water, etc)

If you read this and feel a sense of sadness or overwhelment from challenges mounting or establishing a self-care practice, it's best to get help and support. There may be barriers to caring for yourself from past trauma, mental health issues, or family or farm situations that may be making it more challenging to get started. Seek support from trusted counselors and behavioral health providers (like therapists), a trusted primary care doctor, or a close friend.

The bottom line: Self-care can have a positive effect on your health and outlook, but it requires a commitment or intention to invest in your well-being. “Self-care is a choice that each individual can make to proactively take care of their well-being. We need to remove the stigma that being kind to and taking care of ourselves is self-indulgent or selfish,” Thorson says.

If you or someone in your family or farm team are going through a hard and stressful time, reach out to a professional. For local crisis contacts and resources visit https://www.domore.ag/crisis-contacts.