“I have no time for yoga or exercise,” said a friend of mine who is also a rights activist. Before that, she complained that she had severe backache and asked for some professional suggestion on reducing it. I advised her that including yoga and daily exercise in her routine life would help reduce the pain. But she replied that she was too busy, and had a lot of work to finish. I was surprised that she did not have time for herself. How will she take care of other people, I wondered, if she cannot take care of her own health? She had no answer to that!
After a week, her backache increased so much that she had to be taken to the hospital. She was advised to take bed rest and reduce her weight. She was given some medicines for pain relief. For the last three weeks, she has been in bed, regretting her decision of not taking care of her health on time. [break]
This is a common phenomenon among many activists, both male and female. It is now time for us activists to ask ourselves how we can take care of ourselves better so that we can give more to create a better world. We too have the right to feel healthy, secure and satisfied.
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I strongly feel that we should first care for ourselves before immersing ourselves in the economic, social, and political rights of others. Self care is a leadership issue. Stress and fatigue due to the long work hours required of activists contributes to lack of well–being, and lead to overeating, lack of sleep, and irritation. They might also lead to too much drinking and smoking. This will, in the long run, affect an activist’s capacity to perform up to the mark. Their ill health will make them inefficient or ineffective. As a result, society in general will suffer.
I always tell my friends and myself that in order to help others, we first need to help ourselves. We have to keep ourselves fit, both mentally and physically, in order to achieve our goals. Activists should make self-care their priority so that they can drive their movements ahead.
Stressful activities are common in our daily lives. Many activists and health workers are overloaded with the responsibilities and demands that their work and travel impose on them. As a result, they give limited attention to their relaxation and recreation in personal and professional life, creating a challenge for their mental and physical health.
I have seen many men and women who really do take care of others, but do not bother to take care of their own poor health. Obesity, backache, constant headache, chronic fatigue and joint pain accompany them all the time. Their energy levels are perpetually low, but still they continue to work. Finally, one day the breakdown happens, and they have to stay at home. The feeling of helplessness in this situation creates more problems.
This “too much attention to work and too less attention to body” syndrome can happen to any of us. We feel that if we prioritize ourselves and our health, it is “not good” and that it is “selfish.” This feeling continues until our exhaustion makes us bedridden.
But I, as a health care worker, feel that if we want to take care of other people or issues, it is very important that we take care of ourselves first so that we can have energy to spare for the health, issues and challenges of others, and so that we can enjoy our work. Taking care of our health and wellbeing means that we can take care of families, communities, and in the long run, of the nation. Guided by the adage that “charity begins at home,” I try to eat healthy and lead a healthy life before I address the health problems of others. I find that it gives joy to me as well as to the people who work with me.
I try to raise the issue of personal health in workshops, trainings, and writings, but feel that there are very few who take my suggestion seriously. But once they fall sick, they remember my words and feel guilty. That is when I tell them, “it is never too late to start something good!”
The author is a doctor focusing on public health
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