As I shared with you at the beginning of September, I’ve been prioritizing self-care this month (with no plans to stop doing so anytime soon). To be completely honest, this has been easier said than done; I have a LOT on my plate right now, and at times it is temping to let my self-care practices slide in favor of completing other to-dos on my list.
I’m thankful that I was able to take part in Ami Kunimura’s 5-Day Self-Care Challenge this week, which provided me with support and accountability as I focused on practicing self-care. The daily videos and exercises helped me dive deeper into why self-care is so essential in my life right now, and I loved getting to hear from the other challenge participants as they shared their insights each day.
Many of you expressed the need to prioritize self-care in your own lives right now, which is why I am so excited to share that enrollment for Ami’s 31-credit CMTE experience, RESILIENCE OVER BURNOUT: A SELF-CARE PROGRAM, is open now.
Being a new professional isn’t easy. I remember those days vaguely…mostly because I wasn’t sleeping very much and working super hard for my new clients and students.
Right now, many music therapists and music teachers are getting into the swing of their first school year, so I felt inspired to pass on some of the wisdom I learned while in their shoes, braving the world as a new professional.
This is my 4-year-old daughter, Mia Belle. I couldn’t help but take her photo before she headed to soccer practice earlier this week, mostly to capture the unique outfit she had carefully curated just for the occasion.
If you know me in real life, then most likely you’ve heard the dramatic tales of our daily battles to get dressed and ready for school each morning. To put it lightly, Mia Belle is…selective when it comes to her clothes.
She wakes up with a strong opinion about what to wear that day, completely disregarding whether or not it is appropriate for the weather or situation (e.g. the sparkly bracelet, long plastic beaded earrings, and Superman headband she’s wearing in the pre-soccer photo).
I used to let her stubbornness get to me, and our morning struggle put me in a funk nearly every day. But recently I decided to loosen my grip, because I finally saw what was really happening here. She wasn’t purposely trying to antagonize me; she simply wanted to express herself.
Now that we’re all back into our school year groove, it’s time to jump into the first theme of the school year: FALL!
Ah, fall: that magical time of year when all of the leaves change colors, we go apple picking, take trips to the pumpkin patch, pull out all of our cozy sweaters…I could go on, but you get the picture! I like to bring seasonal and holiday themes into my music therapy sessions and music classes in order to change up my repertoire while still remaining goal-oriented.
Self-care is a term that you hear a LOT, especially if you work in a helping profession. Before I started taking my overall well-being really seriously, I laughed off self-care and the stereotypical activities associated with it — taking a bubble bath, getting a massage, etc.
However, not prioritizing self-care has led to some really unfortunate and even scary situations, including going into early labor during my second pregnancy. I’ve experienced several bouts of professional burnout as well, each of which I’ve attributed to a lack of self-care.
During this month of September, taking care of my mental, emotional and physical health is even higher on my priority list than usual. My family is adjusting to the new school year, my husband and I are buying a building (more on that soon!), my private practice is in a season of expansion, and I’m in the middle of writing a book.
So…yeah, self-care is essential right now.
We all have our own definitions, ideas, and maybe even misconceptions of what self-care looks like, so I’m going to share what it is for me at this moment in time and how it’s having a positive effect on my life.
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two.
My Book + Course
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
