We deserve that care and attention we are trying to nurture within other people: exploring the experiences of co-active life coaches on self-care and professional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Self-care is broadly defined as a chosen, proactive initiated practice, with the goal of
promoting well-being. Self-care provides many social, emotional, and psychological benefits,
and it is important to understand its role among those who are responsible for helping others.
Helping professionals such psychologists, social workers, and nurses are tasked with promoting
self-care and nurturing individual growth amongst their patients and clients. Working in these
industries can lead to excess stress, burnout, and professional impairment, all of which can
negatively impact clinical work and personal health. Ironically, these helpers’ personal self-care
is not always an immediate priority. In light of these challenges, it would seem that enhanced
self-care may provide an avenue to reduce negative outcomes seen in the personal and
professional lives of helpers. Beyond exploring self-care and health among helping
professionals, it is also important to understand how self-care relates to professional practice
during COVID-19, an era fraught with government restrictions mandating lockdowns and the use
of telecommunications. Certified Professional Co-Active life coaches (CPCC), helping
professionals who provide highly personalized support endorsing self-care for their clients and
are trained in using virtual tools, have yet to be examined in this context and are poised to
provide unique insights. [...]