Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.
— Eleanor Brownn
Every plant I’ve owned, I’ve let die.
I even bought a succulent a few years ago (which are supposedly harder to kill) and it still withered away.
Can you guess why?
It’s fairly simple — I didn’t water it. And I didn’t give it enough light.
The two things it needed to survive, I deprived it of.
And without that necessary nourishment, it was incapable of thriving.
What I did do, is leave it in a dark corner, on top of the dining room table. Where it was mostly covered in bags and whatever other clutter was lying about. And stopped paying attention to it altogether.
Funnily enough, I did the same thing to myself when trying to start my first business.
I stopped paying attention to my internal needs and let myself reach a point of burnout.
And perhaps you’ve done the same…
Drowning in overwhelm and doubt doesn’t lead to flourishing
As you can imagine, when we fail to nourish ourselves — our sense of fulfillment and daily satisfaction take a massive dip.
And if you’ve spent any time at all trying to navigate change or a new exciting adventure, then you know that your excitement and “need to succeed” often get in the way of looking after your most valuable asset — you.
We work crazy hours.
Try to learn everything all at once.
Bombard our brains with information we can’t possibly contain (let alone implement).
And end up struggling to juggle our work, family life, and the ever-present plague of self-doubt.
Ultimately, this kind of overwhelm leads to less-than-great outcomes.
In the first 9-months of trying to launch a new career, I was so busy consuming and trying new things, that I completely forgot to look after myself.
- I didn’t see my husband enough
- I didn’t snuggle with my dog enough
- I missed family and social events and
- my personal care went out the window
I had stopped doing the things that made me feel good.
And that sucked.
How to reap the blissful benefits of daily self-care
Business is exciting, challenging, and of course — full of learning curves that can rock your confidence.
And it’s remarkably easy to get caught up in the hecticness (that’s a word, I’m sure) and let our commitment to self-nourishment slide.
The problem is, that when we succumb to the fake urgency of whatever task is next on our to-do list, we end up neglecting our inner-most needs. And that is what tends to kill our growth.
We get so overcome with the need to prove to people that we can do it all — that it becomes increasingly difficult to slow down. Focus. And the take time we need to recharge.
In other words — we put ourselves in a dark corner, deprive ourselves of water, and forget to nourish our mind, body, and soul with the one thing that will help us thrive; self-care.
Self-care = self-preservation
Making a habit of recharging and revitalizing yourself, is how you build resilience.
And resilience is what you need to play the long game in business (and life).
You can’t produce your best work if you’re not in an optimal state of mind. And your state of mind is directly affected by how good (or bad) you feel at any given moment.
Whether you like it or not, your mood plays a huge role in your ability to create and be productive.
Of course, there are some simple things you can do to shift your mood:
- Exercise (even a quick set of push-ups can change your psychological state)
- Breathwork (which can be as simple as one mindful breath or can translate to daily meditation)
- Feed yourself (something nourishing and wholesome is best)
- Hydrate (dehydration is a mood killer, so more water can make you feel almost instantly better)
- Sleep (8 hours a night is a game-changer)
- Write it out (thinking as writing is perfect for problem-solving)
But self-care comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms. And to be honest, there are no rules.
Except for this one:
You must practice self-care daily.
101 Simple Self-Care Practices For Daily Happiness
You can practice self-care outdoors, at your desk, in line at the supermarket, or at home on the couch.
You can even include loved ones in your self-care habits (or you can choose to keep them solitary). Whatever suits you, and your preferences is the best path forward.
As long as in some way — every day — you do one thing that takes care of you.
And in order to make that easier for you, I’ve prepared a list!
- Spend time with your family without any devices
- Stretch for 5 minutes on the floor or at your desk
- Read something you enjoy
- Perform an act of kindness
- Take 5 deep breaths (in, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4…)
- Practice a visualization technique
- Read an affirmation out loud to yourself (repeat if necessary)
- Buy yourself a present
- Buy someone else a present
- Light some scented candles
- Learn something new
- Listen to a music album that you love
- Dance to one of your favorite tunes
- Practice yoga
- Go for a solitary walk in silence
- Watch a funny movie
- Take a relaxing bath
- Go for a massage
- Have an at-home spa day/night
- Journal your thoughts
- Drink a green smoothie
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- Listen to a hypnosis track
- Go to a coffee shop and people watch
- Go to the dog park (and dog watch!)
- Get some sun on your face
- Plan an adventure with your best friend
- Write in a gratitude log
- Listen to a podcast you’ve got saved
- Take pictures of your favorite things
- Hug someone for a full 20-seconds
- Drink some tea
- Go to the library
- Take a mental health day
- Declutter a space
- Create a new space
- Experiment with a new look or hairstyle
- Take an online exercise class
- Lay in the grass
- Look at the clouds
- Have a hot shower
- Unplug from technology
- Reflect on compliments you’ve received
- Buy a new outfit
- Ask for help with a problem
- Snuggle under a cozy blanket
- Take yourself on a date
- Clean something
- Create or update your vision board
- Compliment yourself
- Compliment someone else
- Get your hair done
- Plan a vacation (big or small)
- Take a nap
- Sleep in
- Reflect on your wins and accomplishments
- Drink a glass of water
- Set a small achievable goal for the day
- Floss your teeth
- Visit or talk to a friend
- Eat some fruit or vegetables
- Go on a date (with a partner, friend, your child, or your dog)
- Sing along to your favorite song
- Try a new restaurant
- Take your dog for a walk
- Do 20 mins of free writing
- Watch your favorite tv series
- Catch up with your favorite blog
- Have a glass of wine
- Write a thank-you note
- Write a love letter (to you or your lover)
- Make a hot chocolate
- Go to the beach
- Cuddle a puppy
- Volunteer for the day
- Buy or pick some flowers
- Call someone you love talking to
- Ground yourself (walk barefoot on the earth)
- Listen to an interesting TEDTalk
- Do some coloring
- Listen to an audiobook
- Watch a sports game
- Read a fiction novel
- Bake a cake
- Have a cheat day (no food rules!)
- Smile at a stranger
- Get a mani/pedi
- Go for a swim
- Donate to charity
- Clean out your closet
- Start a collection of inspiring quotes
- Brainstorm a new idea
- Put $50 into your savings account
- Start a new habit
- Quit a bad habit
- Tell yourself ‘you can do anything you set your mind to’
- Gift someone your favorite book
- Write out your favorite quotes from a book you love
- Draw something (even if you suck)
- Create a bucket list
- Water your plants (they give you life)
That’s a nice long list for you to peruse. And of course, some things will be more fulfilling for you than others.
The important thing is to pick one thing off it and do it today. And if it’s enjoyable, keep doing it.
Remember — finding the time for self-care is not only vital for your survival, but it will enable you to flourish. To grow yourself, so you can grow your business, too.
