Why We Must Make Wellness a Priority
A special message for healthcare providers and caregivers who have been burning the candle at both ends.
For February, I challenged myself to post daily on my Facebook profile a Black History Month fact about a Black woman or man who has significantly impacted the medical field. From Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American to train as a nurse, to Dr. Alexa Irene Canady, the first African American woman to become a neurosurgeon in the United States, I’ve been amazed to learn about the unsung heroes that we hardly talk about.
As remarkable as their accomplishments are, the thread that has run through the twenty-four stories I’ve posted this month is the discrimination that they faced due to their race (and for women also their gender), which made doing their work increasingly difficult. Not only did many of them experience harassment during their medical studies, but they often were denied access to practice at medical facilities, causing many to go into private practice.
In the case of Dr. Justina Laurena Ford, the first African American woman physician licensed to practice in Colorado, when she applied for her medical license, the clerk told her that he felt bad taking her money to get the license, knowing that being a woman and Black were two strikes against her. I cannot imagine what Dr. Ford and many other medical professionals felt about being the first in a field that was increasingly resistant to their existence.
As I consider the work we do at Enhance Black Women’s Health, I wonder about the health of those who are trying to improve the health of others. I spoke about that recently on a Substack Live that self-care isn’t optional when you’re a healthcare provider and a caregiver. Self-care is essential because when you go down, who will be there to pick you up?
The harsh reality is that I often see many healthcare providers and caregivers burning the candle at both ends. Due to understaffing, many in the healthcare field are working increasingly long hours. Given the recent changes within the U.S. government, I’m truly concerned about the well-being of healthcare providers who need to navigate new policy changes from the Trump administration.
In addition, we cannot ignore the increased responsibilities for caregivers who are taking care of our aging population, as well as those with disabilities who require specialized care. For this, I think of my mother, who cared for my grandparents for as long as she could, leaving a high-paying job at JP Morgan for a lower-paying job so she could be around more to care for her parents. One day, I want to interview my mom for the Substack and ask her now, in hindsight, if the sacrifice was worth it.
As noble as it might seem for you to sacrifice for your patients, clients, or family, I go back to what I shared in my Reel: if you don’t prioritize taking care of yourself, you will have no energy to take care of others. Now, that is NOT to say that you’re simply filling your cup to pour out to others.
You’re filling your cup solely because you deserve your cup to be filled, too.
You deserve to be taken care of, too.
You deserve self-care, too.
If you need a reminder, then I’m glad to be the person to give it to you. I know this because it wasn’t until I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome that I had to challenge myself to start prioritizing my health and wellness. I don’t want you to wait until you’re sick to start making your wellness a priority.
While this is far from an exhaustive list, here are three habits that have helped me make wellness a priority:
1. Remember That Your Wellness Matters Too.
It might seem strange to frame it that way. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with RA and Sjögren’s that I realized how little I had considered my wellness. As a health coach, I thought about the wellness of my clients, and as a daughter, I thought about the wellness of my parents. But I felt I was young and “healthy,” so I didn’t need to prioritize my health.
If you hold onto that belief, I need you to remember that your wellness also matters. You do that by ensuring that you focus on the wellness goal (singular, not plural) that matters to you. For example, if you’re a healthcare provider working inconsistent hours, you might not be able to take a weekly class at the gym. However, you might be able to log into a fitness app two to three times per week and follow a workout plan that you can do from the comfort of your home. By remembering that your wellness matters too, you can make yourself a priority.
2. Ditch the Perfectionism and Just Eat Nourishing Food.
With a background in nutrition, there is often a perception that I’m judging everyone for everything that they eat. In reality, I just want you to eat foods that nourish your body and your soul. Sometimes my body is nourished by a Sweetgreen salad and sometimes my soul is nourished by BBQ. In other words, I’m not judging you and don’t want you judging me.
When you ditch perfectionism and eat the food that will nourish you, you realize we don’t cook everything we eat. Making healthier food choices is really about planning our meals. That might mean choosing a restaurant with lots of nutrient-dense options for date night or enjoying a soup and salad from the cafeteria at work. The point is that when we try to overcomplicate healthy eating we end up with an all-or-nothing mindset. This means that if you can’t eat ALL the healthy food, then you end up choosing none of the healthy food. By ditching perfectionism, you recognize that making healthy choices is really about planning ahead to have healthy options. If you can’t, select the option to nourish you and move on.
3. Move Your Body Inside and Outside the Gym.
As a gym lover since my Marine Corps days, I know there is a temptation to think that physical activity must mean high-intensity exercise. While there is certainly a place for that, unless you’re training for the 2028 Summer Olympics, you can calm down on the intense workout schedule. Or, you can stop making yourself feel guilty that you aren’t out there training like you’re in the running for a gold medal.
When you think about moving your body inside and outside the gym, it becomes more about considering what is most practical for your lifestyle. If you’re the primary caregiver for a family member and need to stick close to home, you would benefit from a fitness app where you can complete exercises that require little to no equipment. If you’re working in a hospital setting where you have to input many patient notes, you might benefit from a standing desk you can use during your long shifts. The point is that moving your body is essential, but it doesn’t need to be an intense workout in order for your wellness to be positively impacted.
For healthcare providers and caregivers right now, I know that the changes happening within the U.S. government impact you in ways many might not be able to imagine. Although your commitment to enhancing the health of your patients, clients, and family members is admirable, your wellness matters, too. It might not feel like it does in the current era, but as long as we don’t stop believing, we will achieve wellness for all one day.
Talk soon,
Tomesha