You're overwhelmed at work. You have a ton of projects piling up at home, and your calendar is packed with overdue tasks. To make room for all of this stuff, you skip lunch, stop going to the gym, and forget about your social life entirely. When we're stressed, self care is usually the first thing to go. And that only makes things worse. As fluffy and indulgent as the phrase "self care" may sound, it's just a few basic habits that are crucial to your functioning. Most of us grew up believing that the more you sacrifice, the bigger the reward.
In high school, for example, if you signed up for a debate tournament and forced yourself to stay up all night preparing. You figured pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion had to pay off. What happens the next day? Of course, you will so exhausted that you would barely be able to form coherent sentences, and fail. The point is, it's easy to take the "hard work pays off" adage too far, to the point that it becomes counterproductive. Your abilities are worn. Your skills aren't as sharp. You lose focus. You might think you're working hard and maybe you are in some ways, but you're not working efficiently. Therefore, you need to give yourself time.
Let us first look at this video where the speaker talks about her experience of neglecting self-care, and the tips she gives on how was she able to practice self-care.
Now ask yourself if you have every encountered this situation? Or situation similar to this? If you have, then now you know what to do.
Furthermore, ask yourself these questions: Are annoyed easily? Are always late? Have a hard time sleeping, or have anxiety attacks? Cannot remember the last time you did nothing? Constantly feel overwhelmed? Do you never cook, exercise, sleep enough, or reflect? Does a day seem foreign to you?
If you feel any of the above then you might be not be aware of the self-care that you need. Let us consider each of these situations and learn what to do.
Are you annoyed easily?
When we're centered and taking care of ourselves, we treat others with the same compassion we've been showing ourselves. But without time to ourselves, it's easy to let every little thing that doesn't go according to plan annoy or bother us. Just as they say before any airplane flight, you need to put your own oxygen mask on before you assist others. Because if you don't have your own survival mechanisms in place, you can't help anyone else.
What to do?
If you find this is you, don't beat yourself up. Show yourself some compassion. Recognize what's really going on here and begin to put a plan of action together—whether that is removing email from your phone on the weekend, saying "NO" more, or having a sit-down woth your mangaer about leaving work on time
Are you always late?
With overwhelm, we're always trying to get just one more thing done. And this "one more thing" usually correlates with being late. You're trying to get it all done and your intentions are good, but you being late only winds up creating more stress for you and may make who you're meeting with feel less valued.
You may also be late because your inspiration is gone and you're burnt out.
What to do?
Wherever you fall here, give it some thought. You may find you need to cut back on some projects. You may find you need to ask for time off (it can be unpaid if you don't have any). Or you may find you need some deep self-reflection and maybe even a retreat. But once you allow yourself to dig and see what's going on, the answers will come to you for what needs to be shifted in your life.
Activity:
Use the tips provided in Time Management to help you prioritize and schedule your time, set goals, and end procrastination.
Do you have a hard time sleeping or have anxiety attacks?
Difficulty sleeping can result from many things. It is usually stress-related. If you're having anxiety attacks that also can be a sign your body (and mind) is looking for a release and something in your life needs to be changed. And that change is where self-care comes in.
What to do?
Go on a walk when you feel stressed. Release and write out all of your to-do lists in a journal before going to bed. Write a letter to that person who hurt you (with or without sending it). Or schedule a session with a coach.
Do you not remember the last time you did nothing?
There's a certain feeling of power and accomplishment that comes from the outside world when we're busy, working all the time, and getting things done. But if we don't take the time to recharge ourselves, we miss the energy of enjoying life, nurturing, and fostering our own creative powers and connection with ourselves. It's this balance that allows for a grounded, peaceful person who can show up fully and authentically for their life.
What to do?
Make time for yourself. It isn't a bad thing—it's a necessary thing.
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed?
When you're constantly juggling your work, family, volunteer work, and (dare we say it?) your own personal needs, it's easy to feel like you're living with a never-ending to-do list. That's sure to cause you to constantly feel overwhelmed. When you can't take time off or reduce your load, it's time to look at a few ways to handle the stress on a day-to-day basis so you can feel less overwhelmed.
What to do?
This one is pretty simple. If you constantly feel overwhelmed, a deep dive into why is needed along with a powerful shift in your day-to-day. This is one tip to sit back, process, and give time to.
Do you never cook, exercise, sleep enough or reflect?
Cooking, exercising, sleeping and reflecting are key components of happy healthy people. We may not always be able to do each of these enough, but if you can never do any of these enough, that's a sure-fire sign you need more self-care. These very activities—alone—are self-care.
What to do?
Begin adding them in by looking at where your time is spent and removing activities that are no longer supporting you or cutting back on some. Once you begin slowly inserting these into your life and you realize how good they feel, they'll most likely stick. So give yourself time, but keep going.
Does a day seem foreign to you?
If a day off seems foreign to you, you need it more than anyone. Enjoy it. Savor it.
What to do?
Spend time doing activities that light up your soul—maybe that's hiking, practicing yoga, attending a cooking class, writing, visiting with friends, journaling, or reading.
Next Step...
Late by Career Confidential under Fair Use
Annoyed by Loadtve under Fair Use
Sleep anxiety by NUCCA Wellness Clinic of Chicago under Fair Use
Cooking by jacoblund (IPTC Photo Metadata) under Fair Use
Dobbas, C. (2016, June 20). 7 Signs You Should be Taking Better Care of Yourself. Retrieved from mindbodygreen: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-25510/7-signs-you-should-be-taking-better-care-of-yourself.html