We can’t tell you how many times we’ve changed meetings because a funeral director got a call. We’ve seen how stressful and overwhelming your job can be. As fellow funeral industry professionals, we appreciate what you do.
Are you suffering from energy depletion or exhaustion? Are you experiencing feelings of negativity toward your job? The other day, I found research that talks about recognizing burnout in yourself and your staff. Like answering yes to these questions. We thought we’d compile a few resources with some self-care tips from the experts. Hope these give you food for thought in 2020.
Identifying personal barriers:
When putting others’ needs first, a lot of times misconceptions about how your actions or feelings are portrayed by others can get in the way of self care. Family Caregiver Alliance writes about the importance of identifying these personal barriers in order to have a healthy relationship with yourself both at work and in your personal life.
Taking Care of YOU: Self-care for Family Caregivers
Daily self affirmations:
We’ve seen the value of your job as a caregiver often get overlooked. According to a study done by the American Psychological Association, daily self affirmations increase long-term emotional health along with self worth and confidence. And sure, we totally understand if this sounds a little silly, but science proves it works — so give it a try.
10 calm minutes:
In a TED Talk, Andy Puddicome shares his experience with stress. He says just 10 minutes of mindfulness a day can have a huge impact on lowering stress. As you know, helping a grieving family can be stressful. Often the anger a community member feels about their loss is displaced onto the funeral director. Taking the time to meditate for just 10 minutes can transform these emotions and decrease their impact on your mental health.
Setting goals:
We see funeral directors put others’ needs first all the time. But this often leads to neglecting your own goals and needs while helping others achieve theirs. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York writes about how setting realistic goals, both professionally and personally, is an important part of self care, especially in a caregiver role.
A Caregiver’s Guide to Setting Goals
Journal writing:
Harvard Medical School conducted a study and found that journal writing is a vital way to cope with stress. Letting the emotions you internalize on the job out on paper is a safe and easy way to alleviate them. Writing allows the brain to process through the stress we are experiencing and saves it for revisiting when we are ready to or need to.
Writing about emotions may ease stress and trauma
It’s easy to think of self care as selfish. It’s not. Take care of yourself first, so that you can continue with all the amazing work you do to help others and keep your business running smoothly for years. A healthy funeral director means a more connected community. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
