The care we show ourselves enables us to better care for the people and priorities that matter to us most. Here are 3 reasons for making self-care a part of your daily routine and empowering the best version of you.
In our pandemic times, I am seeing more of my friends and family neglecting self-care activities when we need them the most. With the growing emersion of work and personal lives, hybrid office hours and continually fluid distancing restrictions, carving out time for self-care needs more effort and discipline than ever.
It's been 5 years since I took a leap of faith and quit a successful 15-year corporate career to start my own consulting business. This new chapter of my life was spurred by a need to align life priorities and habits to allow for a happier and healthier version of me.
When I was in the prime of my corporate career and felt I was the most effective and productive but I was also the most stressed and exhausted. I was a modern working mom with a husband, 2 young sons and a demanding job that required me to travel 30-40% of my time.
I loved my corporate work life and my family life with great passion and tackled my roles as a department leader and family leader with all my energy. I told myself that the stress and anxiety of being a busy working mom were just part of the job and part of modern life.
I struggled to find ways to maximize the minutes in the hour and the hours in a day to get it all done. I often sacrificed time for self-care as I opted to give 100% of my time and focus on either my family or my work. I told myself that if I just multi-tasked and scheduled efficiently, I could make it work.
What I didn't realize was how neglecting self-care would detriment my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.
For me, 15 years of work-life imbalance led to burnout. I became mentally and emotionally exhausted and no longer enjoyed the career that I worked so hard to build. Then came a physical health crisis with the diagnosis of MALT lymphoma starting with a strange tissue growth on the inside of my lower left eyelid. (You can find my full story in my blog, "It's Never Too Late to Turn a New Page".)
It took burnout and a health crisis for me to stop and listen to my body's need for self-care.
As I started my consulting business, I made a commitment to myself not to lose sight of self-care and to change my old mindset and habits that led me to burnout. I am still on my journey to establishing the best self-care activities and routine for me, but I am feeling the benefits of a calmer, more focused and creative version of myself already.
Here are 3 reasons why self-care should not be neglected and instead be protected to empower the best version of you.
Reason 1: Self-Care is Not Self-Indulgence, It's a Necessity
There are many misconceptions about self-care as being indulgent. Many romanticize it to be all about champagne, chocolate strawberries and spa treatments. While self-care can include these elements, it is not an indulgence to make time for activities that nourish you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
The WHO describes self-care as the "broad concept which also encompasses hygiene (general and personal); nutrition (type and quality of food eaten); lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure, etc.); environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.); socioeconomic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.); and self-medication."
Source: WHO - What do we mean by self-care - online article
Self-care is about staying healthy holistically so that you can better cope with daily stressors. Think about how you can feed your body with healthier food and eating habits. Think about leisure activities that help you to relax. Think about exercise to strengthen your body and meditation to soothe focus your mind.
When you build a balanced self-care routine, you are nourishing all of you to be as powerful and strong as you can be to take on life's busyness.
Lesson 2: You Are Worth It!
Self-care is also about self-love. We love and care for our family and friends and want them to be healthy and happy, so why don't we show that same love for ourselves?
When you give yourself permission to block out time for self-care, you will be able to take care of the other activities and interactions in your life better.
During much of my corporate career, I strived to give the very best of me to everyone at work and at home. By nature, I am a giver and nurturer at heart. That's why I chose a career in learning and development. I genuinely enjoy helping others to discover and grow their skills and talents.
But the mindfulness and kindness that I showed with others I did not show to myself.
Learning to take better self-care has strengthened my self-esteem and self-worth. It has empowered me to be more bold, engaged and joyful. I have more self-confidence to take chances with new ideas and projects. I am more mindful and enjoy the relationships in my life more richly.
Reason 3: Empowering the Best Version of You
When you take better self-care, you get stronger mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Focusing on any one element of self-care will also strengthen the others as it's all connected.
Five years after leaving my corporate life and starting my own business, I am still learning along my self-care path. I definitely see and feel the difference in my mental and emotional health which also contributes to my physical health.
I am more relaxed as a human being.
I am fully engaged in connections with family and friends.
I laugh more easily and find joy in simple daily activities.
I learn more deeply and think more creatively.
The activities in self-care were gradual for me. It started with journaling to release my thoughts, worries and anxiety. I picked up lost hobbies such as sewing, drawing and painting. I started 4-5 km walks with my husband 3-4 days a week and bought more healthy fruits and vegetables for easier healthy eating.
All of the activities combined have made me feel stronger and more empowered to live my life more richly.
Learning From Regret
I regret not learning lessons in self-care earlier in my career. I wonder if I could have been a better leader at work? Could I have been a less stressed mother and wife at home? Could I have been braver and bolder in my career? Could I have prevented my lymphoma?
We can't go back to change the past but we can live and learn for better tomorrows.
So as we move forward in our messy pandemic lives and try to thrive in our new normal, we need to keep ourselves in the healthiest state to handle our daily stressors. When we value ourselves and invest in our self-care, we are also investing in the family and friends we care about.
To learn more about self-care and how you can take better care, here are some useful articles:
What is Self-Care and Why is it Critical for Your Health? - online article, Everydayhealth.com
Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself - online article, Psychologytoday.com
Self-care is Not an Indulgence. It's a Discipline. - Digital Article, Forbes
I would love to hear your comments!
Do you ever feel guilty for taking time for self-care and why?
What tips do you have for self-care?
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