Focusing on Your Self-Care as a Writer or any Professional
As active professionals, it can be difficult to find time to take care of ourselves because we are always working on something or need to get something finished. Sound familiar? I constantly have a full planner of articles and projects I need to get done and as I finish, something new takes its place. It’s about time we take some time each day, or even each week, to focus on our self-care - for our own health, to protect us from burning out, or simply to set us up for a successful future.
What does self-care really mean?
According to Everyday Health, “Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.”
It doesn’t mean self-indulgence and it doesn’t mean being self-centred or selfish, In fact, it’s essential for our own health and without it we can suffer from a variety of health conditions, including depression and heart problems. You can’t expect to take care of your family if you’re not taking care of yourself (it’s why flight attendants tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first). Succeeding as a writer or professional is dependent on you being at your optimal health and mental state.
So, what can we start doing to provide ourselves with the self-care we need, especially during these crazy times?
Switch one of those coffees or Coke Zeros to water. I’m not saying drop the caffeine and only drink tap water, just try and add some real hydration in there even a little at a time. If it helps, add lemon or lime for flavour and keep track of how much you drink through a health app, such as Fitbit.
Get some steps in. I’ve been having a friendly competition among a group of locals through the Fitbit app. My competitive nature keeps me getting up, walking around or even running in place, for 10 minutes or so every hour. You can even compete with yourself and try to beat your best each day.
Fill your fridge with healthy snacks. I’m horrible for snacking on crackers and other processed foods while I write. I skip meals on busy days and often replace them with low-carb fudge and cheese. Lately, however, I have been filling the fridge with foods that are still low-carb but packed full of nutrients.
Practice Proper Hygiene. It can be tempting when working from home with nowhere to go to not bother showering. Why not wake up and go straight to the computer or the coffee machine? Hygiene is essential for ensuring your physical health as well as your mental health.
Poor hygiene is more than skipping a shower now and then. It can be a sign of self-neglect linked to mental or emotional disorders, such as depression. It may be second nature for us to brush our teeth, but for some, it can be a struggle. Practicing good habits constantly, even when we don’t feel the need, can help keep us positive, balanced, and motivated to have a good day. Besides, a nice soak in the tub can do wonders for calming the mind and grounding yourself for a good night’s sleep.Work on achieving your goals.
When you keep putting things off until tomorrow, tomorrow never comes. Self-care doesn’t only mean taking care of yourself in the present, it means setting yourself up and taking care of your future self. You want to have RRSPs set up for retirement because your future self will need them. Even doing something like getting up even 15 minutes early and writing 500 words of your personal novel is focusing on self-care.
I wish I could tell my past self to get her butt in gear, but for now, I’m motivated to keep my future self from thinking so. I know how hurt and disappointed I will be if I hit 50 or 60 and never reached my dreams because I chose to listen to music or sleep in instead.Wake up early.
You may think letting yourself sleep in is considered self-care, but in fact, unless you’ve been up for days working, it’s the opposite. It’s fostering bad habits and not setting yourself up for a successful future.
Getting up at the last minute and rushing around to get ready can lead to a stressed-out day and could be teaching poor morning habits to your children. Instead, wake up early, take your time getting ready, and even take a few minutes to enjoy a coffee or breakfast at the kitchen table. The rest of your day will follow in the same collected motion.Save money instead of spending it on unnecessary clutter.
This one took me until recent years to focus on. I felt like as soon as I was making good money, I needed to buy all the things I couldn’t when I ends weren’t meeting. Instead, I have been putting a percentage of my income each month into savings, for RRSPs as mentioned above, experiences instead of material objects, and to let my future, older self relax a little. Plus, having too much clutter around the house, especially the stuff no one touches, can impact the disorganization of my mind as well.Cut out the negativity.
We all have the habit of feeding those negative thoughts in our heads. As we feed them, however, they get bigger and more difficult to get off our minds. Meditation can help, however, keeping yourself from festering is even better.
So, turn off the news and play your own playlist instead. Don’t peek at your ex’s wife’s Instagram account just to see her call your son “hers” one more time. Don’t call up your negative friend because hearing about how horrible their own life is right now makes you feel better about yours. It’s not going to help keep you focused and it’s only going to lead to your own demise.Love Yourself.
This one has definitely been one of the most difficult for me. Most of my adult life has been me self-deprecating myself instead of building myself up. It didn’t help that I was surrounding myself with people who constantly reminded me of my lack of worth.
Since moving to Kingston, things have begun to heal and I’ve started finding my own confidence and respect, as well as how much I deserve to meet my goals. Even small actions like recognizing that you had a negative thought can start the healing process. Find good things about yourself and accept compliments as truth.
Remember, start every action with a good intention and self-love and you’ll begin to see the change it makes.What are your self-care techniques? I’d love to find out!