One of the most common misconceptions is that Self-care is synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy and well, do your job, help, care for others, and do all the things you need and want to accomplish in a day.
By Emile Fakhoury You wouldn’t let this happen to your phone. Don’t let this happen to you, you either. Self-Care is a priority for everyone who wants to optimize their performance.
From my experiences, self-care is critical to staying sane, and it will be essential to bouncing back more quickly when life gets stressful.
Self-Care is not only taking steambaths and face masks, doing spas, sleeping well, and eating healthily. It is about saying “No” to things that hurt or aren’t going well for you. If you have difficulties saying no to colleagues, managers, or friends, your extensive Self-Care should involve asking whether it is a good fit for you and politely declining if it is not fit for you.
Self-Care is also about preserving your energy and protecting your core. You will struggle with stress and fatigue if your battery runs empty in your career and social life. My life and professional experiences touched me in various ways to preserve my energy.
Here are a few ways that you can practice Self-Care:
- Motivate yourself daily as you woke up. Spending at least 5 minutes daily doing something just for you is an investment in your physical and emotional health.
- three not to be missed daily: Sleep, Eat, Exercise and Repeat Make a habit of following this cycle rigorously; only when you follow it and keep repeating it you would see great results.
- Walk at lunchtime or evening time If it is summer or winter, choose not to miss a 30 min walk. It will boost your morale, reduce stress, and recharge your batteries. Walk with a colleague or friend and listen to music if you are alone. Nature has incredible healing effects on morale and improves energy preservation.
- Connect with your family, friends, or colleagues and have a conversation Emotional connections are vital to preserve your energy levels and help you stabilize your emotional situation as you talk and listen to others who have developed a true relationship with you.
- Forget and forgive your and others’ mistakes and move on quickly Moving on is not easy sometimes; take your time to think deeply and acknowledge your mistakes but do it. This would help you to forget and forgive as you take the lessons learned and improve your situation rather than regretting and affecting your mental health.
- Read a book or write an article or Do Yoga, but at least one of every month Making it a crucial part of your routine will help you become comfortable and relaxed as you could stick to it in the long term. This could have a tremendously positive effect on your life.
- Keeping your desk or office or home organized and clean It directly impacts your energy and keeps you organized and efficient, so you don’t waste energy or effort during the day or week to perform your routine or unscheduled tasks.
- Take 1 or 2 weeks’ holiday every four months and disconnect Taking a more extended break at a less frequent time will not do you good and make you forgotten from your life and work. The purpose is to refresh, recharge, and keep you connected to your situation. Plan it well during the year and choose the best time but keep the rhythm.
Each of us has a unique role to play in our society, and the more we do Self-Care, the more we can all benefit not only ourselves but the entire community around us.
Corporate Expert Writer, Business Professional in Energy/Water/Oil/Gas, Specialist in Coaching/Training, Association of Project Management UK Fellow Member. The professional who believes that adaptation to various social or corporate environments is the only way to survive and strive. Master the rules of the game in order to reach the top and change the rules.
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
12 comments on “Self-Care is a Priority”
Well written Emile and everyone must practice this
thank you Tuli!
Interesting article , thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Mireille
Emile, Emile he's our corporate man,
if can't explain it.. no one can!
Nice one again Mr Fakhoury.
Thank you Carl !
A great article. I am going to save it, print it and read it every morning at least for a while. I wish I could manage to practice them all especially to "disconnect"! thank you Emile!
much appreciated Bintelbalad and am so glad to receive your feedback!
He Emile, I totally agree on the essence of what you are writing. The examples of how to put it in practise (you mention Yoga for example) could differ with every individual I believe. I am always open for exchange of thoughts regarding this. We can only learn from each others experiences and by this keep improving every day. Cheers.
A very interesting and useful article. Thank you, Emile.
Well written Emile and everyone must practice this
thank you Tuli!
Interesting article , thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Mireille
Emile, Emile he's our corporate man,
if can't explain it.. no one can!
Nice one again Mr Fakhoury.
Thank you Carl !
A great article. I am going to save it, print it and read it every morning at least for a while. I wish I could manage to practice them all especially to "disconnect"! thank you Emile!
much appreciated Bintelbalad and am so glad to receive your feedback!
He Emile, I totally agree on the essence of what you are writing. The examples of how to put it in practise (you mention Yoga for example) could differ with every individual I believe. I am always open for exchange of thoughts regarding this. We can only learn from each others experiences and by this keep improving every day. Cheers.
A very interesting and useful article. Thank you, Emile.
Thank you Jolmer !
Thank you Karim !