Are you struggling with the demands of running a home, working, looking after family members, maybe you feel like a busy ant, that you have no time for you and your emotional reserves are running on empty, which is making you snap at those closest to you?
Well, I can assure you, you’re not alone, the past couple of years has caused us all to become master jugglers and this has impacted the massive increase in mental health issues and raised our stress levels worldwide.
It’s like our focus has been pulled all over the place.
Personally, I really struggled with my focus throughout the pandemic especially when recovery from a spell of long Covid, which lasted for six months. My to do list seemed to have grown legs, it was everywhere.
My office (which is in the corner of my living room) totally changed the dynamics of my life, there seemed to be no rest time, even when I had some well earned TV time… because my work seemed to be waving at me from the corner of the room.
I got so overwhelmed, I started to hide, I started to procrastinate on my work and my mental health started to spiral downwards. My self-care, which is something that I am very passionate about, also went out the window.
Focusing on you and your Self-care should never be just another thing to do, it should be your priority. If you don’t look after yourself, how can you be there 100% for others?
So, what is self-care?
Self-care is looking after your emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing, it`s doing things that make you feel happy and well, that light up your soul and I don’t just mean having a spa day although I find them to be very relaxing, healthy and fill me up with gratitude.
It’s okay to stop doing things that don’t make you happy, especially if it’s taking its toll on your mental health.
My advice is: what makes you happy, what makes you feel well, what lights up your soul put into your wellness toolkit?
Your toolkit will help when you must do the things that are a necessity but don’t make you happy. For me, that facts and figures, I would rather scrub the toilet and that’s why I am finally outsourcing my accounts after 8 years of being a business owner.
So, let’s get back to that to do list; do you add taking care of yourself to your daily to do list? If not, I highly recommend you do. Where your attention goes, energy flows, what you focus on, you receive. Stop focusing on your problems, your workload, what Doris is doing down the road, and start focusing on yourself.
Since I started getting back to having selected focus time for me, for my business, my family and my goals everything has become brighter in my life. I have more structure, more clarity, self-belief and the energy to help me and my clients.
To prevent overwhelm or burnout, it’s important to make time to do nothing. You don’t need to make every second of the day productive to make your life fulfilling. On the contrary, you need downtime and pure relaxation (no multitasking!) to nourish your mind body and soul.
So my self-care toolbox
- Emotional: Activities that help you connect, process, and reflect on your emotions.
- Mental/Intellectual: Activities to help you keep a clear head.
- Physical: Practices to ensure your body is functioning at its best.
- Social: Nurturing relationships (and ending toxic ones). This also involves setting boundaries.
- Spiritual: Practices that nurture your soul.
- Professional: Setting boundaries and finding a work-life balance.
- Financial: Creating a healthy relationship with money to reduce stress and anxiety.
Angie Simmons is a member of the Woman Who Achieves Academy