Self care and your stationery drawer: Tips on being kind to yourself

Cathy Sosoli leads the patient and family support team at St Catherine’s Hospice in West Sussex. She advocates being kind to yourself, and here she shares how stationery can help you to do that.

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self care

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete

Jack Kornfield

Working in a hospice is one of the most rewarding, emotional, challenging and growth-filled careers you can have.

It can also bring negative and positive stress.

During my early hospice life, I was having a stressful moment and realised I was so busy being a caring counsellor for others that I had no room left to show care for myself.

The importance of self care

I realised because I wasn’t showing myself care, I wasn’t showing care and compassion to my colleagues. I pretended I was, but truth be told, I didn’t have the capacity to show interest in or care for them.

Looking for ideas to look after myself, and reduce my stress levels, I noticed that my stationery drawer carried everything I needed.

Stationery drawer
Self care and your stationery drawer

If you, a family member or a friend are finding life stressful I hope you find something useful in this list.

Stationery drawer essentials

Hole punch

Create spaces (holes) in your day to stop and breathe. Walk up the road at lunchtime or during a study break. Or focus on a favourite object in your room for 30 seconds.

Phone charger

We all need to recharge our batteries. What makes you feel alive? Is it sitting reading a book? People watching in a cafe? Laughing with family and friends? Whatever it is put it in your weekly diary. And don’t cancel it.

Scissors

Sometimes we need to cut things off (and dare I say people) that deliberately sabotage our well being. Only you know what or who those are, so ask yourself what or who doesn’t help you when you’re stressed? What can you do to reduce stress?

Paper clips, bull dog clips and staplers

Sometimes when we’re stressed everything seems scattered. Do you have a trusted friend or family member that you can gather things up with who will just listen?

Business cards

Remember who you are! What are your values? What do you personally believe in? How do you want to live your life? Are you living how you’d like to? If not, why not? And what does it look like when you are?

Coloured pens

How colourful is your life? Where can you add in some creativity and fun? What does that look like for you? Drudgery and dreariness drains you physically and emotionally – add some colour.

Staple remover

If you’re someone who says yes to everything regardless of how overloaded you are, remember it’s okay to say no, not yet, not now, let’s have a rain check. Saying no doesn’t make you a bad person or friend. It’s also okay to start saying yes if your first response is usually ‘Oh I don’t know, I don’t think so….’ Commit to going out of your comfort zone and see where it takes you.

Book for personal growth

Learn something new. Remind yourself that you don’t know it all and you’re not meant to either.

Post-it notes

Remind yourself to look after you. Take two minutes to ask yourself, when did I last have fun with friends and family? When did I last go for a walk? When did I last NOT eat takeaways? Put reminder notes around your house and in your diary for the things that bring you joy and use to-do lists or calendars to help you manage your workload or your study time.

Tipp-ex

We all make mistakes. It’s how we learn. All mistakes can be overcome and you’re allowed to forgive yourself. You’re even allowed NOT to be perfect. Be a human being in all your humanness. And embrace everything that makes you unique.

Originally from New Zealand, Cathy has both personal and professional experience of hospice care and is qualified as a counsellor. In her role at St Catherine’s Hospice she leads a team of counsellors, spiritual care, and welfare advisers who support local people facing the end of their life. As well as leading her team she gives counselling to local people affected death and bereavement.

Read more: How to feel confident and accept that you are enough

It’s okay not to be okay – here is the help you need

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