Youre overwhelmed at work.
You have a ton of projects piling up at home, and your calendar is packed with overdue tasks.
When were stressed, self care is usually the first thing to go.
And that only makes things worse.
Most of us grew up believing that the more you sacrifice, the bigger the reward.
I figured pushing myself to the point of exhaustionhadto pay off.
Your abilities are worn.
Your skills arent as sharp.
So actually taking time to eat lunch, exercise, and hang out with friends?
That just feels like slacking.
That mindset backfires, though.
Self care helps you avoid getting to that point.
Breaks are the epitome of self care, andstudies show theyre great for helping you perform better.
Sometimes I treat self care as a reward.
What Im really doing is making my job more difficult by allowing myself to run on fumes.
In other words,self care is not a reward.
Its daunting, messy, and uncomfortable.
Its important, though, so you want tomake time for it in your daily routine.
Consider teaming up with a workout buddy or a group to hold yourself accountable.
If youre busy, try an app likeSworkit.
Or, find a gym thats close to work, or better yet, along your commute.
This way, you get a workoutandyou beat traffic.
Its also hard enough toeat healthy in a world filled with processed food, though.
Start small, as our own Beth Swarecki suggests.
Do you want to eat less sugar?
Control your carb intake?
Focus on one area at a time rather than trying to overhaul your entire diet at once.
Also, sometimes eating junkfeelslike self care.
I often treat myself with a handful of Oreos.
What exactly are you feeling, and why?
It might help to run downa list of feeling wordsto help better pinpoint your emotion.
I was hurt and freneticnot the best conditions for getting stuff done.
I simply stop what Im doing, walk away for a second, and pinpoint my feeling.
Acknowledging it serves a practical purpose.
My boss tells me to fix something and I feel rejected, but now I know that.
Keeping a journal is a good idea, too.
It sounds very touchy-feely, I know, but thats sort of the point of emotional hygiene.
Controlling them means acknowledging and understanding them.
If your emotional pain isespecially difficult to manage, you might considerfinding a good therapist or counselor.
This is common, according toresearch from John Pencavel of Stanford University (PDF).
He found that after about 50 hours of work, employee productivity and output plummets.
However, its a better option than simply continuing to say yes.
Maybe youre the one squeezing too much in your schedule, though.
One way to combat this is toadd empty events in your schedule.
Finally, squeeze some time in your schedule for yourself.
Block that time in your calendar, too.
Then,do everything you might to defend that time.
Spend Your Time (and Money) on What Matters
Sometimes being busy feels good.
When I was working 50-60 hours a week, I felt successful just because I was constantly working.
I wasnt necessarily getting anywhere, though.
It was the illusion of progress.
Sometimes,real progress means being unproductive.
And your money is a lot like your time.
When were stressed, its common to spend mindlessly.
That usually makes things worse, because money is a huge source of stress for a lot of us.
Maybe you want to travel.
Maybe you want to feel secure.
Illustration by Fruzsina Kuhari.
