This topic is a little more complicated than other forms of self-care I’ve talked about. I say that because the solution to career, and business burnout is not simply eating more kale. Burnout has a lot to do with the nature of the job but if we are not practicing self-care, the negative emotions, irritability, anger, exhaustion, mood struggles, and anxiety that can come with burnout can worsen. We take these emotions home with us, and our children and families can also be subjected to them. In fact, 47% say burnout negatively affects their relationships.
In my opinion, your career is very important but simply isn’t worth sacrificing the well-being of yourself and your family. Studies show that 70% of execs are considering leaving their jobs for positions that support their well-being. This includes a company that offers flexibility in hours worked, provides sufficient time off, and values employee health and wellness.
Well-being needs to take priority over career advancement. In fact, coincidently, self-care can fuel professional growth by improving energy levels, positivity, motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction.
If you own a company, you are responsible for setting boundaries around work to support your well-being. If you work for a corporation, working with your organization to set limits around repetitive stressful tasks and hours worked to prevent burnout while expressing your level of exhaustion would be a good first step. Next, focus on the things that are within your control that can ease the impact of the stress you are experiencing.
To keep this blog concise, I have summed up 3 self-care steps to take toward improving your well-being.
1. Get Support
Therapy: This can help give you an outlet to talk about your overwhelm and help to improve cognitive thinking that supports your mental health.
Form a support group: This can consist of people within or outside your organization that are in similar roles as you that meet once per quarter. Being able to express your feelings about the demands and obstacles involved in your position with others that are experiencing similar hardships helps you feel less lonely and gives you the opportunity to brainstorm solutions together.
Hire a health coach: When we have a lot on our plates, it's easy to skip our self-care and put work first. A health coach can help guide you in a consistent lifestyle that prioritizes your wellness.
2. Time Management
A good first step here is to track how you are currently spending your time. Then, you can strategize how you might be able to incorporate some methods to help free up some time.
Some ideas could be:
Hire out for cleaning: If you spend a large chunk of time cleaning your home, you might consider hiring a cleaning company once per week.
Meal Prep: If preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner requires time that you don't have when you’re tied up with work, resulting in eating quicker, less healthy options, consider creating a routine on Sunday to meal plan, shop, and prep meals for the week ahead. This is something you can also hire someone to help with.
Group similar tasks together: Plan a day when you can do all of your errands at the same time, answer emails at a specific time instead of as they arrive, and do similar work tasks like organizing paperwork.
Delegate: Each week, go through your list of to-do's and see where you can delegate tasks to others.
3. Create a Self-Care Calendar
I’d recommend google calendar as you can create different calendars for work, your kids’ activities, self-care, and more. The goal is to factor in time for you to relax, recharge, and manage stress. Make a list of self-care activities that you want to start incorporating on a regular basis- our free resource: The Wellness + Beauty Workbook on our website can help you set wellness goals, structure your time, and develop a positive mindset.
Sections include:
· mindset and goal setting
· self-care rituals
· healthy food habits
· physical exercise
· reflection exercises
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