Strategies to prioritize self-care

Without our health, we have nothing.

4 self-care strategies to give our body and mind the best chance to thrive. This helps us build and maintain resilience at work.

It’s a fast-paced and ever-evolving world for all professionals. AI is here and is already challenging the way we operate. If you hear Sam Altman (CEO at OpenAI) speak, you'll hear him talk about resilience as the core skill that we all need to be developing. What he means is that we need to be adaptable. Check it out.

Resilience is our ability to find a way through challenging situations and come out the other side stronger. And to do that, we need to be healthy and mentally fit.

So here's an idea that will always serve us. Prioritize self-care.

Without our health, we have nothing. Read that again.

If we’re driving our car and we’re low on gas (or battery for the EV drivers), we stop for gas or a recharge. If we don’t stop, we'll inevitably conk out on the side of the road. And then things get even harder.

Saying that we don’t have time to pause and focus on our health is like saying that we don’t have time to stop for gas because we’re too busy driving.

4-step strategies for self-care

Almost any career choice these days can be quite demanding and stressful. How do we include our health and well-being in our long list of priorities? Here are 4 practical suggestions that can help us keep our health in check.

Step 1: Be aware of our stress levels and status. If we don’t check the fuel gauge, we won’t know where we’re sitting so we need to take note of how we're feeling. This comes from simply asking the question "how do I feel right now?" and then being mindful enough to really listen to the answer.

Step 2: Add in short breaks as meetings in our calendars. We need to literally block off the time to take a break. And then we need to stick to that ‘break meeting’, just like we would for a meeting with the boss.

Step 3: Invest in the good-quality gas (or charge). Yes, it’s easy to give ourselves a break on social media, but that’s not helping us. We can spend 10 mins meditating instead of scrolling, or go for a walk away from our phones. We all know which option is much better for mind and body. And if we insist on spending time on social media, we can always try to maintain a positive content diet.

And lastly….

Step 4: Remember that 15-minutes a day is just 1% of our day. Surely we can invest 1% of our day into rest and recharge to help prevent long-term impact on our health. Even 10 mins is a positive step…and that is a tiny 0.069% (so there really is no excuse).

Building resilience so that we can be the best version of ourselves at home and at the office is a continuous journey. It requires action, self-reflection, and a willingness to learn and grow. Remember that life is not merely about surviving - it's about thriving and seizing the opportunities that come our way.

So, what are you doing for your health? If you want some basic tips to help you get started, check out this page on health and well-being.