A few months ago, I met a health and human rights activist and saw that she was walking with difficulty. When I asked her what the problem was, she answered that she had been having a backache for some days and that it was difficult to walk.

“You need proper rest for a few days and to stop working on the computer as well. It may be because of your long working hours that you have a backache. You need to be careful,” I suggested.

“I wish I could rest but my work does not allow me to do so. I have to submit reports, go to trainings, and travel inside and outside Nepal in the coming weeks,” she replied.

I advised that if she did not rest now for a few days, she might have to rest for many more months. She just gave a sad smile and continued with her work. Sadly, about a few weeks ago, she informed me that she was going to leave her hectic work as it was not possible for her to continue anymore and that she was had been ‘ordered by a doctor’ to rest and also stop working on her computer as her wrists hurt bad. She could not fly long hours and had to stop taking long walks.

When I asked about her health, she told me, “I should have listened to you and the doctors who told me to stop working for a few weeks. Now I am paying the price for my negligence. I am not sure If I will be able to work actively again.”

Successful but stressed

My friend is among the many women who have become successful and have created their own space in society by working very hard. But they do not pay attention to their physical and mental health and do not have the time to eat healthy food and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They do not have the time to exercise, do yoga or just walk and run for fun.

Many women activists have time to solve others’ problems and raise their voices for others but no time to care for themselves. Back pain, knee pain, weight problems, mental stress, and anxiety become part of their lives, until the day comes when the body cannot resist and breaks down. When asked why not just women activists and professionals but also homemaker don’t pay attention to their own physical health, most have the same answer, “We are too busy taking care of others.” But is it not their responsibility to also take care of themselves so that they can enjoy their work, activism, and household chores and staying healthy and contributing to society?

I strongly feel that women—be they activists, actors, leaders, singers, homemakers, or teacher—just reclaim care of the self not just as a person but as a basic human right to rest, dance, exercise, enjoy recreation, do yoga, sing and enjoy life. Sustainability of work, activism, and profession depends on self care, so that we can count on healthy professionals and healthy activists to carry out their work. As human beings, we cannot work without proper rest but most of the time, we jeopardise our health and later, our work as well, in the pursuit of something more.   

Self care and wellness is also a leadership issue and is associated with confidence. The less confident we are about ourselves, the more work we want to do. The stress and fatigue from work contribute to a lack of wellbeing by fueling choices that are often very unhealthy, like overeating, eating junk food, drinking a lot of coffee and tea, and taking sleeping pills. Women can become irritated and this impacts their relationship as well, be it at the family or the professional level. In the long run, the person becomes more unhappy and sick.

Dancing the revolution

So what is the solution? Self-care is and should be part of our commitment to ourselves to work better without sacrificing other important parts of our personal life. The capacity to maintain a positive attitude toward our work is another aspect, which should not be forgotten. Self-care can be practiced in many forms through the way we treat ourselves—the balance we maintain between work and recreation; the energy and space we dedicate to undressing and dislodging the knots that we carry from our daily struggles; giving ourselves quality time and attention as much as our professional work and activism. In this way, we can be healthy and happy and make contributions that will last long.

A long time ago, I came across the book What is the point of revolution if we cannot dance?, which included the happiness and suffering of women activists, doctors, homemakers, and women working in warzones. That book taught me that it is very important to take care of oneself and be mentally and physically fit in every condition. Since then, I have started to take care of myself without feeling guilty and I encourage all my friends, relatives, and colleagues to eat well, rest enough, and enjoy themselves without any guilt. After all, what is the value of our material gains and achievements and if we cannot dance freely, if we cannot sing loudly, if we cannot walk without pain, and if we cannot sleep without pills?

Dr Uprety writes on nutrition and health