Most Valentine’s Days are spent thinking about your loved ones. This Valentine’s Day, I would encourage you to think of them, and think of yourself too!
We all know that taking care of ourselves is truly the most important gift we can give ourselves. Joseph Fleming, a Direction Psychology Social Worker said, “You can't pour from an empty cup.” We often talk about self-care, but it can be difficult in a world that values hard work and productivity.”
We don’t live in a society where we think of ourselves first, but perhaps you can refrain from this and look at it from a place of worthiness. When you are taken care of, you can serve and lead more people.
If I were to ask most leaders I work with if they had a Self-Care Plan, most of them would say no but they may be doing bits and pieces of a plan.
Let’s investigate what a self-care plan might look like in today’s busy world.
Knowing why you should do regular self-care is essential. Humans are motivated by either pain or pleasure, but in my experience, I see most people motivated when they have potential pain/discomfort on the horizon.
Southern New Hampshire University says, “Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more. From a physical health perspective, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer.”
They also suggest a consistent routine in these areas of life:
Emotional
Environmental
Financial
Intellectual
Occupational
Physical
Social
Spiritual
When talking about self-care with leaders, the most common objections that come up are time and money, but there are easy and quick ways to do self-care.
BNI Healthcare in the UK put together this list of ways to nurture yourself:
Get a good night’s sleep
Drink lots of water
Go for a brisk walk
Take a relaxing bath
Say no to something you don’t want to do
Listen to your favorite music
Watch your favorite film
Make something healthy yet delicious for dinner
Make a list of five or more things you like about yourself
Spend time with loved ones
No matter how you do it, self-care has never been more important than right now in our world today. This Valentine’s Day is a great place to start loving yourself by doing good self-care.
Stratengy is here to help you navigate being a great leader in today’s world. Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you and your team be more engaged, collaborative, and productive.
