are both beneficial. Plan them into your
schedule so that you can get a chance to
be in the present and feel alive. Only you
can choose what self-care option appeals
to you. Some suggestions include: Reading
a good book; A walk in the garden/forest;
A chat with your good friend; A long nap
in the middle of the day; A favorite meal;
A trip away from the norm; Listening
to music; Meditation; or Just sitting and
doing absolutely nothing!
There are many resources that can help
you with self-care. Online communities,
books, and podcasts can help with more
insights and ideas.
middle of nowhere. Well then, it is time to
pull into a station and fuel up. It is time to
schedule ME TIME. Time for yourself to
rejuvenate.
Dr Tchiki Davies shares some tips for self-
care. Her top tip focuses on sleep. Getting
enough sleep means that you can be rested
and with a clear head for the next day. It
is not just the hours of sleep that matters,
but the quality of the sleep as well. A
restless night of tossing and turning for 7
hours isn’t useful at all. In order to get a
good night’s sleep ensure that you sleep on
a good mattress, a well aerated room that
has dark curtains to keep out any light and
avoid distractions like the cell phone.
The next top tip is around food. The choice
of food and the time for consumption
adds to your self-care routine. Science
has given us a lot of information on foods
to eat and which to avoid. That does not
mean we should deny ourselves of certain
foods which we really like. Everything in
moderation would be a good motto. Drink
plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep
moving. A sedentary lifestyle may just
contribute to other health challenges.
Saying no is also on Dr Davies’ list. She
observes that even though it is a hard
thing to do, with practice, it does get
easier. So say no to things that eat into
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your time when you could have put aside
that time to spend on yourself. Don’t feel
guilty for putting yourself first. Just know
it is essential to fuel the tank. She also
suggests that one can schedule ME TIME
and guard it jealously to avoid getting
sucked into activities. Scheduling tools
like a diary or calendar can help you block
off chunks of time that look like they are
taken up by tasks so that that becomes the
time you can use for yourself.
Dr Davies also suggests that having a pet
is a great way to engage in self-care. The
unconditional love that comes from pets
is a way to feel better and more in tune
with yourself. Take care that keeping a
pet doesn’t add to the load that you are
currently carrying, otherwise this will be
more of a chore than a boost.
Another interesting tip from Dr Davies
is around being organized. If one plans
ahead, and puts things into a semblance of
order, many things can be managed at the
same time. Having said that, some people
just seem to have better organization skills
than others. Some thrive in chaos and
yet others have no clue how to even start
being organized. Use of planners, alarms,
alerts, arranging things in specific places
and anticipating ahead can all help here.
Moments with friends and moments alone
It is easy to come up with a list of possible
activities that is classified as self-care.
What of self-care of the mind? Our
thoughts are very powerful. They can
build our confidence and self-esteem. Our
thoughts are impacted by things around us
but also by our internal voices. Sometimes
it is that tiny niggling voice saying ‘you are
such a bad person for saying no’ or ‘you
aren’t capable of handling things.’ We
need to be aware of the danger of negative
self-talk and ensure that we switch the
negative self-talk to positive words of
affirmation and encouragement.
Self-care can impact not just your work
life, but can also positively impact your
relationships and your ability to be a better
parent. Cultivating patience, having a clear
mind and feeling happy are all some of the
positive outcomes of self-care.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, down in
the dumps, always tired and find yourself
irritable all the time, you could be suffering
from burn out. Stop and reflect, before
making a conscious choice to take time to
refuel.
In the words of Katie Reed, ‘Self-care is
giving the world the best of you instead
of what’s left of you.” Respect yourself
enough to do that.
Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia is a
Marketing and Leadership Coach.
She is also a PhD student of
management and leadership. You
can engage her on this or related
matters via email at: Mycoach@
thrityengineer.org.