Self Care is one of the most misunderstood and talked about topics in the “wellness” industry. Wellness in quotes here, because there are many folks trying to commodify wellness without our actual wellbeing in mind. The industry historically has preyed on and exploited insecurities to sell us our own care. Often self care is boring. It’s making hard choices that bring us long term peace and creating routines that sustain and nourish us. This is especially important for healers or anyone doing intuitive work.

For many healers, we are drawn to this work that requires compassion, empathy and life experience after overcoming trauma and or dysfunctional family dynamics. We have to be able to meet our own needs in the form of daily routine and caring for ourselves. Managing energy levels is essential in bringing our best selves to the work.

The global pandemic we are currently experiencing has added many challenges to this. With the added consideration of excess media intake, navigating new digital spaces, and connecting through text message where miscommunications run wild, many sensitive and empathic people are at a loss for meaningful connection and feeling isolated is at an all time high.

I also want to acknowledge that many people are in impossible circumstances right now and that the burden on essential workers is devastating at the moment.

Focusing on what we can control, these are my self care suggestions for healers, empaths and highly sensitive people:

Limit your media intake

We need to be aware of what’s happening around us but not saturated by it. Finding the balance of being informed without the drama and overwhelm is essential. I highly recommend getting your news for one low drama source or even a Wikipedia page. I live in Massachusetts and check my state webpage for updates periodically. I also signed up for alerts from the state on my cell phone which come through with updates every day or so. This way I’ll know if something major is happening. Full disclosure, I’ve also had my cell phone on silent mode since 2012 so if I respond immediately to your text messages its a combination of the fact that I’m psychic and I love you. Which brings me to my next point.

Pace yourself with draining friends and family: you don’t need to be available 24/7

This is easier said than done if you haven’t set boundaries with friends and family before. This is essential self care for healers and non negotiable for your health and well being. If you are an empathetic person I can guarantee that there is someone right now upset because they want more of your time or energy than you are willing or able to give them. People are going to be drawn to your energy, it makes them feel seen, heard, understood, and loved. Many times it may be the only time they feel connected to themselves or their own love. It’s not feasible or fair to take on the responsibility of someone else’s emotional regulation no matter how much we love or appreciate them. This is the most common way I see clients lead to burnout, resentment and unhealthy relationship patterns. Protect your energy by limiting the time you spend with people who drain you of it.

Find ways to connect digitally

I teach two weekly Mediumship classes to a very dedicated group of Mediums that began meeting once a week two years ago as an empowerment circle. The connection and love that has been created in these groups is priceless and I consider it my life’s work. The first thing I did when we got word of social distancing taking effect was to set up a strong internet connection in my office, teach myself how to use Zoom and begin teaching my classes on that platform. We never missed one meeting and actually met 3–4 times a week in the beginning because stress was so high. I taught many people who had never used FaceTime to log on to Zoom and they are now effortlessly giving Mediumship readings and connecting with others over this a digital space. This has shown me that if you are craving connection, it is out there. Often times we need to just go slightly outside our comfort zone.

I highly encourage people to call the people you normally text, FaceTime the people you normally call and if you can drive to your parents house and send them a virtual hug through the window I can validate that it is very healing.

Find daily habits and routines that support your mental and physical health.

This part is really individual so I’ll give my personal perspective. For me this looks like pushing myself to walk outdoors when I can, and resting when I need to. Being diligent with a bedtime and also not beating myself up if I can’t sleep. I have developed chronic neck pain from my Zoom sessions and have been going to the chiropractor daily, foam rolling, and drinking plenty of water. Real self care is boring. I also need time alone, like a lot of time alone, which is not easy during a pandemic when everyone’s home. I am privileged to have a private office I can go to to do my work, but I highly recommend noise canceling headphones or sitting in your car alone if you have the means.

Caring for ourselves is not only a privilege, it is our responsibility. In doing so we honor ourselves and our work by bringing the energy needed to sustain us, our clients and ultimately our greater purpose while we are here on this earth.

Originally published at https://www.sherylwagnermedium.com on May 15, 2020.