As we enter February 2021, the month of love, and slowly learn to decompress after the tumultuous events of 2020, an important question comes to mind. Are you giving yourself enough love? Self-care is a vital part of wellness. Taking care of yourself so that you are mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy is underrated. We come from a culture of overachievers and workaholics, who are often in “hustle mode” to make ends meet. But what good are all these “achievements” without a sound body and mind? To what extent is an overworked lifestyle beneficial if self-care is neglected? While hard work pays off and being successful requires a certain level of discipline, success doesn’t matter if it comes at the expense of one’s quality of life.
Life was stopped in its tracks in 2020. Everyone was forced to stop and learn to be still. Living in such a sensory overloaded life to one that forces you to remain calm and patient is shell-shocking. The high demand lifestyle Pre-COVID normalized overworking of employees to the point of exhaustion. We are not meant to be in this life under high levels of stress without allotted time for wellness/self-care, and 2020 taught us that critical lesson.
Self-care is necessary to maintain good health, allow you to recharge mentally, and replenish emotionally, so you can grow as a person. We often hear people say, “I didn’t take a lunch I have too much work,” “I didn’t exercise because I didn’t have time,” or “I haven’t had a vacation all year.” All I hear is overworked, unprioritized and non-existent work-life balance. If ignored or unaddressed this burnout can lead to significant consequences, including excessive stress, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, anger or irritability, alcohol or substance misuse/abuse, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and vulnerability to illnesses.
Here are various ways to show yourself some love in 2021:
- Get enough rest/sleep.
- Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water.
- Start a workout routine or get in at least 20 minutes of some physical activity daily.
- Eat well – lots of whole foods – fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and complex carbs.
- Take a walk.
- Mood music – Listen to empowering or uplifting music.
- Nourish and grow through personal development podcasts or videos on YouTube.
- Take a day off when you feel it is necessary. Losing an unproductive day to gain several productive ones will yield benefits.
- Vacation or Staycation, either way use your vacation days.
- Volunteer for a good cause and if you have children, involve them in the process so they learn to give back to others in need at a young age.
- Meditate or pray. Praying, meditating, or just taking a pause to clear your mind and reflect on your day assists in reducing stress and allows you to properly self-advocate.
- Quality Time – Spend quality time with people you love, including yourself.
- Honor the NO by protecting your healthy boundaries. Give yourself permission to say no to things that do not serve you (more on this later).
- Clear Communication – Communicate your feelings and needs effectively because nobody can read your mind. Clear communication is an act of self-love and self-advocacy.
- Focus on the future instead of dwelling in the past.
Remember, there is only one you. Exercising self-care is vital to your overall health, mind, body, and soul. This is one reason I love the work-life balance afforded by our firm. This gives me the ability to pursue a career I love and take downtime when necessary, to recharge myself before burnout.
Take the steps today to become your own selfcare advocate!
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
Photo courtesy of De’Andre Bush via Unsplash