Remember how you felt after your last holiday? Maybe you had a sense of calm, a re-connection to the things that were important, you felt that you could take on the world, perhaps you walked a bit slower. You’re likely to have had more energy and were more aware of your boundaries. You may even have thought ‘I need to remember this when I get back to work’.
You then returned to work and daily life with the intention to go slower, to maintain a healthy work-life balance and to begin to take more regular breaks. When you get back to work, you’re able to make calm decisions, you’re interested in your colleagues, you start by taking your time.
But then time passes, you forget your holiday and good your intention. The idea of self-care has slipped away and it feels like a mountain to climb to get it back. You’ve already too much to think about and no time to now squeeze in anything that would resemble looking after yourself. So you shove in a gym workout here and there, work longer and longer hours to try to catch up so that you will have time for self-care at some point in the future. That ‘some point’ moves further into the distance.
At this time, we're a frazzled nation; people are in desperate need for that self-care time. Many are stressed, exhausted, mentally drained but continue to push on. We recognise the benefits that an annual holiday brings - regained focus, the freshness for the projects we need to complete, more energy and resilience - but now, when we need it the most, we’re not allowing ourselves time to restore.
"You can not pour from an empty cup"
A regular self-care routine helps maintain a more balanced view of life. You create clearer decision making and a more rational mind to deal with new challenges. Self-care, slowing down, having a rest, chill, creating space, thinking time, quiet time, well-being - whatever you call it, it is so important to prioritise it for yourself now.
What ever self-care looks like to you, can you allow yourself to get some?
To really connect with your well-being and learn to prioritise your self-care, I offer a 'Back to well-being' programme to help you go back to basics, here.
Gemma Brown is an associate certified coach with the International Coach Federation, working with people to navigate successfully through transitions - be it career, relationships or life in general. Her belief is that when we confidently bring our whole selves to all areas of life, anything is possible. Transitions exist in both our personal and business life, and so often, the two fiercely overlap. Coaching with Gemma focuses on you as a whole, enabling you to identify your strengths, build confidence and to live a life with increased purpose and direction. Gemma is based in Cambridgeshire and carries out face to face coaching in the area as well as 1-2-1 coaching via Skype and Zoom. For more about Gemma, visit her 'About' page or contact her directly.
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