SELF-CARE
Self-care: A Tool Of Great
Leaders
By Joe Nyotu
M
el Robbins, an American
television host, author, and
motivational speaker, says,
“Think again. Taking care of yourself
can require less time than waiting in line
for your iced latte. And when you make
time for self-care, you have more energy.
When you have more energy, you are more
productive. When you are productive,
your mood improves. When your mood
improves, your confidence grows. When
your confidence grows, your relationships
are better. When your relationships are
better, you make more time for self-care.
Rinse and repeat.”
All the stress relief activities in the world
will not help if you are not taking care
of yourself. Meditation will not do you
any good if you are not getting adequate
sleep. In fact, when you try to meditate,
you might doze off because you are not
taking care of your body's need for sleep.
Similarly, hitting the gym once in a while
won't relieve much stress if you're only
fueling your body with high-processed
junk food. You need to take care of your
basic needs first if you want your stress
relief activities to be effective.
According to a 2017 journal article titled,
"Development of a Self-Care Assessment
for Psychologists," self-care is defined as,
"a multidimensional, multifaceted process
All stress relief activities in the world
will not help if you’re not taking care
of yourself. Meditation will not do you
any good if you’re not getting adequate
sleep. In fact, when you try to meditate,
you might doze off because you’re not
taking care of your body's need for sleep.
Hitting the gym once in a while won't
relieve much stress if you're only fuel-
ing your body with high-processed junk
food. You need to take care of your basic
needs first if you want your stress relief
activities to be effective.
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of purposeful engagement in strategies
that promote healthy functioning and
enhance well-being." Self-care is vital for
building resilience towards those stressors
in life that you can't eliminate. When
you've taken steps to care for your mind
and body, you'll be better equipped to live
your best life.
Unfortunately, however, many people view
self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority.
Consequently, they are left feeling
overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to
handle life's inevitable challenges. It is
important to assess how you are caring
for yourself in several different domains
so you can ensure you're caring for your
mind, body, and spirit.
Physical Self-Care
You need to take care of your body if you
want it to run efficiently. Keep in mind
that there's a strong connection between
your body and your mind. When you’re
caring for your body, you will think and
feel better too. Physical self-care includes
how you're fueling your body, how much
sleep you're getting, how much physical
activity you are doing, and how well you are
caring for your physical needs. Attending
appointments, taking medication as
prescribed, and managing your health are
all part of good physical self-care.
When it comes to physical self-care, ask
yourself the following questions to assess
whether there might be some areas you
need to improve: Are you getting adequate
sleep? Is your diet fueling your body well?
Are you taking charge of your health,