Self-Love in Medicine: Ways to Care for Yourself Without Guilt

As healthcare professionals and students, it is so easy to neglect caring for ourselves while caring for other people. After all, we have a duty of care to our patients and the community around us.

Yet, if we are honest, many of us struggle to rest without guilt. Medicine can quietly teach us that being constantly busy is a badge of honour. Over time, we may begin to feel that slowing down means we are doing something wrong. But rest is not a weakness. It is one of the ways we protect the very heart that led us into this profession.

This matters more than we often admit, especially given the well-recognised link between inadequate rest and burnout in healthcare professionals.

However, in this month of love, it is important to reiterate that we must love ourselves first to be able to love others effectively. You cannot pour from an empty cup!

So, here are some tips and tricks to ensure that we show ourselves some love:

1. Start the day right

One way I am learning to love myself more is by ensuring that I start my day in a way that serves me well, so that serving others becomes slightly easier.

For me, that means having a wake-up routine to look forward to. This involves having a shower with my favourite playlist playing, then having breakfast and journalling before heading off. Whilst this does mean I wake up slightly earlier than I need to, it helps me feel much more refreshed before starting my day.

Perhaps you are a morning gym person! Organising your day so that you can head to the gym before starting your shift or lectures could completely change your outlook for the rest of the day.

2. Take your time away seriously

Book that annual leave. Go on holiday. See your time off as sacred time to spend with family or loved ones, or, if you need to, by yourself.

If rewarding yourself after a long period of work means bed-rotting for a couple of hours before doing something else, do it! If you find comfort in reorganising your whole bedroom on your time off, do it with a great playlist and enjoy that time away.

Even on a daily basis, being able to properly rest when you are away from work gives you the opportunity to refill your cup.

3. Find a community and take part

There are so many communities out there that can give you a routine and something to look forward to in the week beyond on-call weekends or 9–5 placement days. Whether this is faith spaces, book clubs, run clubs, sports teams, or more, there is a third space out there for everyone.

At Melanin Medics, we also run social events for medics to network, relax, and make friends. We had the Summer Social last year, and we have our International Women’s Day brunch coming up in March.

4. Learn your own love language

Love languages are a psychological concept that has become much more popular in everyday conversation. The five commonly described love languages are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service, and Receiving Gifts.

Whilst it is important to understand other people’s love languages, learning your own can help you love yourself more intentionally. For example, if you know that your love language is quality time, take yourself out on a solo date. If it is receiving gifts, when you get that pay cheque at the end of the month or when you pass that exam, celebrate yourself with something meaningful. I love doing this.

This way, you are showing yourself love in the way you receive it best.

There are many other ways to show yourself love and care this month. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how you currently care for yourself and where you could be more intentional.

We would love to hear from you!

 What is one way you are choosing to practise self-love during this season of training or work? 

Share your reflections in the comments or connect with the Melanin Medics community to continue the conversation.

If this post resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who might need the reminder too!

Happy Love Month!