Self-Care Takes Time with Atopic Dermatitis

Are you being kind to yourself? What are you doing for yourself today? In spite of, or because of, your atopic dermatitis. Just for you, today. Because you matter.

Are you paying attention to your own physical and psychological health? Or is your personal goal for the day just to make it through?

Putting everyone else first

Too often, we put our own needs last. Maybe you need to deal with stress in your life, knowing how stress contributes to your skin problems. But if you’re a parent, your family comes first. If you’re a conscientious worker, whether you’re the CEO or the newest hire on the ground floor, you often put work before yourself. Do you find yourself making time for everyone and everything else, the report that’s due, the club that needs help only you can seem to give, the soccer game, and putting your needs last? Do you tell yourself you’ll get to it later - it’s not as important - and perhaps it never makes it to the top of the list? But aren’t we just as important?

You can’t pour from an empty cup

Even living alone, I often put myself last. A neighbor needs a ride, a friend needs help with a program on her iPad, and a club feels like something you have plenty of time for since you’re retired and don’t have a family to look after. Even a long chat on the phone can feel intrusive on a busy day. But I’m learning.

Maybe it’s time to accept the idea that we count. If we don’t look after ourselves mentally and physically, how can we be of any use to anyone else? If we take the extra time our skin needs, do we feel guilty? Perhaps we need to take the time when it is necessary to save time later. To enjoy the small things happening in our lives right now. Things we may not notice are happening as we fight the itch, the pain, the sleepless nights.

The reality of eczema exhaustion

I know we can all get frustrated, or even resentful, with the amount of time it takes to look after our skin. Being so tired, we think it can wait till tomorrow. Then that meeting creeps up; you want to shower first. But how long do showers take when caring for dry, itchy, flaring skin that requires two coatings of cream or lotion and extra attention on the flares? It is frustrating when others can hop in the shower five minutes before needing to leave the house while you require at least a good half hour just to care for your skin.

Self-care isn't selfish

Have we become so accustomed to the hectic pace of our lives that it’s become normal? Perhaps it’s time to slow down, to realize life goes on whether we accomplish every goal for the day or not. Take a nice walk in the park. Get lost in a good book for a while. Go for that run on the beach without worrying about what’s happening in the rest of your world. Time to be able to look back at the end of the day, the month, the year with a smile, knowing both you and the people who matter in your life enjoyed it.