An Empty Pitcher Can’t Fill a Cup by Elise K. Cantu, PT, DPT
Healthcare providers have been running on “E” for months and not just with PPE. We care about our patients with every fiber in our being. This means we dedicate our time, energy, love, & tears to helping others.
Healthcare providers have stepped up time & time again to serve our patients in 2020. We don’t do our jobs for the pay or the glory. But after all this time, we are running on empty. And an empty pitcher can’t fill a cup.
It’s up to us to take care of ourselves. If we don’t, no one else will. We must take care of ourselves because if we don’t, then we can’t care for our patients.
So how do we take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our patients? Here’s 10 things you can do today to take care of you.
Do a brain game - break out the jigsaw pieces, crossword puzzles, or silly word games. These mental exercises can stimulate your little grey cells during a lunch break, & make your brain feel less like mush after a long day.
Color or doodle - creativity does wonders for our brain & spirit. Plus, coloring is known to reduce stress in adults. If the local store is sold out, there’s plenty of pages to print from the internet.
Listen to a podcast - there are now one million plus podcasts; there’s bound to be one you’ll like. Don’t limit yourself to just educational ones either - podcasts are a great way to get plugged back into hobbies, even if you can’t physically do them these days.
Jam out to music - bonus points for singing out loud. Queue up a favorite song (you know which one), & get lost in the music for a while.
Dance party - and don’t be afraid to shake that booty. It burns calories anyways.
Talk a walk - if your neighborhood isn’t conducive to walking, a stroll in the park by yourself or with a companion (furry or otherwise) gets the blood pumping & gets you outside for a bit.
Get in a workout - seriously. Squeeze in just 5 minutes of jogging, jump roping, yoga, or lifting weights for some physical & mental benefits.
Worship, pray, or meditate - while places of worship may not be open, setting aside time to look inward or upward is important. A few moments of quiet time before the work day starts can provide a quick mood reset.
Spend some time in nature - you don’t have to do a full-day hike. Sitting in the sunshine on the patio or breaking out some firewood for the chiminea can bring some peace and calm to your day.
Sleep - when it’s time for bed, power down your devices. Nothing sucks more sleep than blue light & all its distractions. Leave the phone out of your bedtime ritual.
Now the real big tip: only pick one of these. Do not try to implement all of these tips at once. Rather, pick one tip that you connect with, & try it today. You can add more later. It’s been a long year, & we’re not going to undo 2020’s damage all at once.
Last thing: dear healthcare provider, you are so loved, valued, & appreciated. It may not feel like it, but you are everything to your patients. Do not give up hope, & please take care of yourself.
Elise K. Cantu, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA is the voice behind TheOncoPT Podcast, which helps new and aspiring oncology physical therapists make the journey from novice physical therapist to competent, confident OncoPT. She interviews topic experts, oncology practitioners, and even patients to provide listeners with up-to-date information on how to best serve oncology patients.
Dr. Cantu is an oncology and lymphedema physical therapist in Fort Worth, Texas. She graduated from Texas Christian University with her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2015 and graduated from Texas State University with her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2018. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her family, exercising, playing the piano, learning the bass guitar, & reading mystery novels.