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Writer's pictureCait Donovan

#straightfromcait - Other Care: The Secret Ingredient That Keeps Entrepreneurs Healthy

Updated: Sep 28, 2022



Overview

Today, I’m flipping the script and talking about “Other Care” as part of your self-care plan. And before you get your panties in a bunch, I don’t mean taking care of others. I mean letting and paying others to take care of you!


While there is plenty of advice out there about when to hire a virtual assistant, freeing up time in your schedule often isn’t enough! What about the parts of your life beyond work that need a little TLC? Aren’t there other things that you should be delegating out in order to feel more fulfilled?


Unfortunately, I think that there is this new understanding of “self-care” as something you need to do alone. And while self-care is healthy and essential (for me, it’s taking midday baths and taking walks with my dog Flora!), it shouldn’t have to be yet another thing we have to do ourselves.


That’s why this episode is dedicated to what I call “other care” or allowing others to help us heal, relax, and find fulfillment. As an acupuncturist, I have supported thousands of people in their “other care.” The energy and positive intention that we share in a room together creates a healing environment even before any acupuncture occurs! If you’re interested in finding out how that works on an energetic and scientific level, I highly recommend the book Energy Medicine by Jill Blakeway.


Recently, I have found “other care” by returning to acupuncture as a patient. I found an incredible acupuncturist – Kelly Drury in Montclair, NJ – who is supporting me in ways that I can’t support myself. Another healer that has helped me tremendously is Lindsey from La Lune Healing. Lindsay is a reiki practitioner who helped me sleep again after many sleepless nights following my achilles surgery. Salutogenesis Chiropractic is yet another group of healers that I am able to receive “other care” from as soon as I start feeling out of alignment.


Having a healer that you know and trust is essential, no matter who you are. It is especially important for those experiencing burnout, because it’s often easier to let others start doing the work of filling you up when you are incredibly depleted.


I’d love to start celebrating Other Care. I want you to comment on any post this week from this episode and tag your healer. Let’s get their work out there. Let’s tell each other that it’s okay to have background support that isn’t DIRECTLY related to business activities. Let’s normalize outsourcing a portion of healing and stop feeling like we are responsible for ALL the things, ALL the time.


Quotes

  • “I believe that as entrepreneurs who are focused on both earning a great income and making a great impact on the world, we need to fill our cups as often as possible. Hiring a VA will take some tasks away, take some things off your plate, and make the liquid in your cup drop slower, but it won’t FILL it back up.” (2:42-3:02)

  • “We’ve seemingly put self-care in yet another category of ‘things we must do ourselves.’ But what if the thing that fills you up most actually comes from allowing someone else to hold space for you, to create a healing environment for you, to support your energy, to fill your cup, so you can go on and change the world the way you imagine?” (3:25-3:48)

  • “The energy we share in a room together really does make a difference. When you allow someone to create a healing space for you, your body enters a parasympathetic nervous state BEFORE any treatment even happens – that means you’re healing before your healer even does anything because of energy and intention.” (3:57-4:19)

  • “I don’t have to be in charge of my care. I have to be involved. I’ve got to show up, I’ve got to pay, I’ve got to make appointments, I’ve got to follow her instructions. But I don’t have to ‘own the task.’ I’ve handed that part over.” (4:47-5:01)

  • “Having a healer that you know and trust, no matter what their modality, is so important. In fact, I suggest to nearly all my burnout coaching clients that they start working with someone at the same time as they start their coaching because especially when you’re burnt out you need to leave the filling of your cup to other people.” (5:39-6:00)


Links


Can’t wait to celebrate the healers this week. <3, C



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