Creating and Sticking with a Self-Care Maintenance Plan
By ALPA Staff
As a component of ALPA’s Pilot Peer Support (PPS) training program, peer volunteers are encouraged to develop a self-care maintenance plan for their own well-being. The combination of repeatedly addressing other members’ concerns, flying the line, and coping with their own personal matters can easily become stressful for these pilot volunteers.
Harvard-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Sabrina Romanoff asserts, “Self-care is important because it helps reestablish balance and avoid burnout. It’s often the mechanism of recalibrating and getting in touch with our ability to play, have fun, relax, and connect.”
Creating a self-care maintenance plan is a good idea for anyone with a busy lifestyle. Developing a strategy for your mental, emotional, and physical health can improve the quality of your well-being, personal outlook, and relationships with others. The following are some ideas for establishing a plan that works for you.
Developing the right approach starts with knowing who you are and what your limitations are. This process begins with addressing your physical needs, including getting enough sleep. Making a deliberate effort to set beneficial sleep goals to rest your body and mind is an important first step.
Consciously thinking about everything you eat can also make a significant difference in the way you feel. Make nutritious choices and remember that what you consume is intended to provide the energy you need to function. Plus, stay properly hydrated.
Making time for some form of daily exercise is also important. In addition to improving your physical well-being, exercise releases chemicals, including endorphins and serotonin, into your blood stream that improve your mood and help you think more clearly.
Building the right plan includes identifying activities you enjoy and integrating them into your daily schedule. Consider developing a list and posting it in a location where it’s readily visible. Activities may include spending time with family or friends, reading a book, playing solitaire with actual cards, or listening to music. Take a break from your smartphone and other devices. Instead, learn something new or engage in a hobby you enjoy. Spend time with your pets. These activities are a great way to decompress between projects or after a busy day.
Paying attention to your emotional and spiritual needs is another important aspect of self-care. This may involve self-reflection and periodically taking a step back to evaluate your life, behavior, and personal beliefs.
One great resource to help ALPA members get started is the book Fitness to Fly: A Medical Guide for Pilots, which was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization in collaboration with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations and the International Air Transport Association.
“Developing a self-care plan means deliberately making the effort to establish a balance in your work and personal life,” said F/O Carrie Braun (JetBlue), the chair of ALPA’s Air Safety Organization PPS Group. “The best way to get started is to assess your current lifestyle, giving special attention to the positive coping strategies you’ve adopted. Then, make a conscious effort to identify and eliminate any bad practices such as excessive isolation.”
Braun recommends thinking about your daily needs and considering the things that make you personally feel fulfilled and at peace, and ways you can introduce these interests into your routine. Start small and be patient, recognizing that your priorities may change with your circumstances. Seeking support and encouragement from your family members and friends can help ensure that your plan succeeds.
In addition, remember that ALPA’s PPS program is available to help you during difficult times. Volunteers can walk you through the creation of a personalized emergency self-care plan in instances when you may need more immediate assistance.
“Practicing self-care may seem self-indulgent, but, in many ways, it has the opposite effect,” observes Braun. “Self-care helps you feel better and think clearer. Using this tool to help improve your well-being will ultimately make you a better family member, friend, employee, and colleague all while improving your fitness to fly.”
Have Additional Questions?
U.S.-based ALPA pilots with health and wellness questions should contact the Aviation Medicine Advisory Service, ALPA’s Aeromedical Office, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., mountain time. ALPA members based in Canada are encouraged to call ALPA Canada’s Aeromedical consultant at 1-800-561-9576 ext. 8312 or visit pilotmd.ca for assistance.
