Between the demands work and home life, it can seem impossible for over-the-road dads to take proper care of themselves. Some people even view self-care—and putting yourself first—as selfish! But for father of two and Prime driver of ten years Michael Johnson, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

“You have to take care of yourself in order to help care for others,” he emphasized.

How do you practice self-care? How can you balance taking care of others and yourself as a dad and as a professional? How can over-the-road dads utilize “me time” to avoid burnout?

Join us this week for Michael’s advice on how over-the-road dads can take advantage of some much needed “me time,” the third M in our P.R.I.M.E.D acronym!

Self-care isn’t selfish; it helps you care for others

When you’re not keeping your tank full by not taking care of your physical, mental, emotional or financial health, you won’t be in an adequate space to take care of your loved ones.

“If you’re drowning or treading water, you’re in survival mode, not in a position to help anybody even if you wanted to,” Michael emphasized. “If you’re not taking care of yourself, it puts you in a position where you might not have the ability to help others.”

Over the course of his career, Michael has learned the importance of self-care, and he’s found strategies that work best for him. But he also admitted there were plenty of time where he had to learn the hard way about the consequences of not making self-care a priority.

“I was more tired and wasn’t able to do the things I really needed to be able to do,” he said of challenging points in his life.

For your own safety and the safety of others, never consider self-care as a selfish act!

Take time to catch some ZZZs

Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, getting a good night’s sleep should be one of your top self-care priorities, according to Michael. Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night is an important part of staying healthy, and the quality of sleep is just as important as the quantity!

“I have to protect my sleep,” he said. “Sleep is probably the No. 1 factor that determines the strength of the immune system and how long you live.”

How can you ensure you’re getting enough good sleep? For Michael, he limits distractions before and during sleep by putting his phone on Do Not Disturb (with a few exceptions for emergencies). His philosophy? Most things can wait until the morning!

Michael has also stopped eating before bed. He used to think that a helping of warm comfort food, like mac and cheese, helped him sleep. Later, he learned that not having a window of time between eating and bedtime can actually lower your metabolism and negatively affect your sleep.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some ways of improving your sleep habits include avoiding caffeine, screentime and large meals before bedtime to get a better night’s sleep. Keeping a regular, healthy sleep schedule leads to reduced stress and other general health improvements.

The quality and quantity of your sleep is one of the key factors in taking care of yourself.

“If you’re exhausted, your ability to help other people, family or other friends is pretty diminished,” Michael said.

Find forms of movement

Over-the-road dads travel miles and miles their big rigs, but it can be hard to find time to travel by foot when you spend so much time behind the wheel. Setting aside time to exercise is important to staying healthy and taking care of yourself. Michael prioritizes time to take a walk every day, calling it his “mental health walk.”

“I’m a strong and passionate believer of walking,” he said. “It helps both mentally and physically.”

Whether it’s a two-minute or two-hour walk, a set of jumping jacks or a few toe touches, any kind of movement is good for regulating stress, getting the blood flowing and staying healthy.

“Walking basically makes everything feel better,” he said.

Looking for ways you as a driver can move? Be sure to check out Prime’s Driver Health and Fitness (DHF) website for opportunities to stay healthy over-the-road.

Practice good personal hygiene

When you don’t take proper care of yourself, it can be a domino effect of one problem after another. For instance, if you don’t take care of your health, you risk getting sick more often, leading to less time spent with family and more money spent on doctor’s bills.

Michael says an important step of self-care is personal hygiene. More specifically, regularly brushing and flossing your teeth to prevent cavities and gum disease. He’s encountered several people on the road who haven’t set aside time to take proper care of their teeth, which can cause damaged teeth and steep dental bills.

“It doesn’t take too long before (consequences) add up,” Michael said. “Simple things not only have an impact on us, it (also) affects our families and the people around us.”

Take proper care of yourself now; your future self (and your loved ones) will thank you! Remember: kids are like sponges, and dads have a great opportunity to lead by example by practicing healthy habits. They’ll be more inclined to brush their teeth, comb their hair, etc. if Dad is doing it too!

Find time for your interests and hobbies

Michael looks forward to spending time with family while he’s back home. After thousands of miles on the road, it’s easy to see why pouring into your social health as a driver matters! In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed the importance of learning your child’s interests (Michael’s children played sports growing up). Learning what your interests are is just as important as learning your children’s.

“You have to have an outlet, something to look forward to,” he said. “It’s important to have a life balance.”

For Michael, he enjoys golfing and reading. He knows other drivers whose interests range from flying drones to riding bikes.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a particular hobby you want to learn again or for the first time? Be thinking of ways you can practice it, both at home and over the road!

Final Words

Michael admitted that the life of an over-the-road dad can be stressful and demanding, both physically and mentally. By prioritizing self-care, you’re not only helping yourself in the moment, you’re providing a healthy future for yourself and your family.

For Michael, family is an important part of his identity and a motivator for prioritizing his health and wellbeing.

“Driving a truck is an important part of what I do, it provides a means to do everything else, but it’s not who I am,” he said. “I’m a husband, and I’m a father.”