Knowing the difference between a Preacher and a Teacher

Recently I was reading through one of my favorite blogs, In My Sacred Space, when I came across an article Ashley the author of the blog wrote about.  It was not so much the content which inspired me, but the passion and means behind her writing. Every blogger has that moment where they must stray from the niche of their blog and let a passion, frustration, or an education topic loose on their readers. This inspired me to write this post. Now when you read the title, you may automatically think religion...but this post is quite about what you may initially perceive. 

Some Background

I'm laying in savasana in a yoga class. I can feel my heart starting to slow and sweat roll down my face. Generally I tune out the instructor and do my own thing, however, I can not help but listen to what she is saying. As her message begins to resonate with me, suddenly I feel a red flag pop up in my brain. She is no longer teaching this class, she is preaching to us about how to overcome control issues and eating disorders. UMM... not quite what I want to hear at the end of a yoga class and is she even qualified to be giving up this information??

I frequently attend different fitness classes, and the more I went to different ones, there were particular instructors who stood out to me. These instructors went outside the scope of their practice and instead of teaching the class the area of their experience, they began to preach. Now don't get me wrong, I love encouragement that extends outside the gym.  However, I have learned to distinguish when I am getting preached at.  

My real qualm in all of this are the following two things. One, it is unethical to offer consultation outside of your area of expertise or scope of practice. Two, I have seen the detrimental effects of preaching. So, instead of complaining about the negatives, I am going to talk about what you can do to tell the difference.

Distinguish Teaching and Preaching

Being in the field of mental health, I see many people offering consultation without the proper education. So the million dollar question is how can you distinguish the difference.  Ask yourself the following questions: 

1) What type of information are you looking for and receiving? Are you on a finance blog and suddenly reading a post on mindfulness? Hmm while they may be great at talking about finances, I would check their mindfulness facts.

2) Check their credentials. If you walk into a therapists office you would expect them to hold a degree in psychology or counseling, correct? Ensure when you seek information it is coming from a reputable source. ALSO, listen to the information they are telling you! Your therapist should not be preaching to you about their new diet and how it is the best for you.  That is outside their scope of practice!

3) Look for resources, and listen to your gut. Did you hear something in a class or read something that felt a little off? Trust yourself! If you are in a class go home and look up additional facts on the topic being discussed, or look for resources if you are reading an article. If the media has taught us anything it is we can not trust everything we read and hear!


At the end of the day, it is all about being properly informed.  Check their resources, and check the facts. There is no harm in digging a little deeper to ensure you are receiving accurate information!

-Sarah

More than taking care of yourself: Intro to self-care

Do you brush your teeth?

Maybe hit up a yoga class, eat some green stuff, or practice mindfulness? We each carry out routines each day to take care of ourselves. However, when we think about taking care of ourselves we generally think about physical care. We often forget about the other parts of our well-being; emotional, mental, and spiritual. We get so caught up in our day to day stuff, we often think hitting the gym is a few times a week to diminish our stress.  It is time to start prioritizing self-care with taking care of ourselves. 

What do I mean by self-care?

Taking care of yourself refers to ensuring your are eating healthy, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep.  The basics of Maslow's Hierarchy. However, these are just the routines and acts we do to keep ourselves clean and comfortable.  Our physical health we generally take care of daily, but it is our mental health where we get stuck and often forget to address.

This is where self-care comes in. Self-care is an intentional act you carry out to address your mental and emotional health. Now the lines can get blurry here. Let me give you a quick example:

Joey goes to the gym five days a week. This is important to him because he knows it is good for his physical health. Lately, Joey has been struggling with his anxiety.  Although he is still exercising at the gym as normal, he still reports having heightened anxiety. 

Let's break this scenerio down now. Even though Joey is still doing something healthy, it does not necessarily mean it is self-care. He is still going to the gym and his anxiety is not reduced. Now let me give an example of self-care: 

Joey is continuing to work out five days a week. However, he has decided to help reduce his anxiety he has decided to start painting. Joey has enjoyed painting in the past and knows it is a relaxing activity for him. He commits to practice painting twice a week, and after a few weeks Joey begins to feel less anxious. He reports painting takes his mind off daily stresseors and allows him to focus on himself. 

Do we see the difference? Joey started to paint with intention behind it. He knows it is relaxing for him, Self-care is all about the intention we set. Self-care is a time to clear your head and do a little bit a mental reset.

Where to start.

Okay, now you are like ... hey! I am getting this self-care thing...now what. First, identify the stressors and things which make you anxious in your life.  Next, think about how you can get a break from those stressors. Maybe it is coloring or crafting (I craft for self-care!). It could be going to talk to someone; a friend, a therapist, or mentor. If you are having trouble picking an activity for self-care use Google! Google or Pinterest ideas for self care and you will find all sorts of different activities, just find the one that works for you! 

Remember, self-care at the end of the day is taking care of your emotional and mental well-being! Plan out a time once or twice a week to start practicing self-care. Maybe even journal down how you feel before and after to keep record of your self-care, and to find what activities work best of you. Your mental and emotional health are just as important as your physical health! We want to aim to take care of ourselves in a holistic way!

-Sarah

If you already practice self-care, what activities do you do??