Self Care for the Working Woman

Mission to Overall Peace in Your Personal and Professional Life

It’s the end of the work week that has seemed to last FOREVER! You have worked after hours each day running errands, tutoring students, doing extracurricular activities with your kids, attending parent conferences, sitting in on workshops and Zoom calls, among so many other things. You have prepared dinner, washed and folded laundry, and hauled the kids to and from sporting events and activities. You are feeling exhausted from taking care of everyone and everything. But, there’s one thing you forgot to do. There’s one person you didn’t even think of! You.

“What about me?!” You probably said in your head. The thought of doing something for yourself hasn’t even crossed your mind. You are so wrapped up in making sure your job or business is thriving, your kids and significant other at home are getting your attention, and everyone is getting a piece of you. You have given away all of yourself to everyone that you are left with nothing at the end of the day.

“What about me?!” You should be the most important person to you. Especially if you plan to continue to give yourself to others for years to come. You are the most important person to you. Taking care of yourself must come first, then everyone else.

I know what you are thinking. “My kids come first. Always.” Will your kids get the love and attention they need if you run yourself into the ground? No. They won’t. They will be stuck without you because you didn’t stop for a millisecond to take care of YOU!

Your physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, intellectual, and social health are so important. I used to think that checking the boxes of the growth and happiness wheel every now and again would be ok. I would workout once every few months, go to church here and there, read a book once a year (never finished them), spend time with friends who didn’t challenge me, and slap on a fake smile and pretend that everything was ok.

The truth is… I was dying inside. I was hurting, and I was causing all of the pain. I was stuck in a deep dark hole and I didn’t know how to get out. I needed an escape. Sure, I told myself that I wanted to be better, to be happier. Honestly, at that time I thought that doing “the work” sporadically would help me climb out of the darkness. Man, was I wrong. Going that route may have helped me to dig an even deeper hole.

Sometimes we need that push from an outside source to help us begin to climb out on our own. I needed it. I didn’t know that I needed it at the time. I thought that I could do it all on my own because I was “I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T” Forget asking for help! There was no way I was taking advice from someone else. Now, I know I’m not the only one who has felt like that!

Let me give you a few tips that I have applied to my life to help me get to a space of PEACE.

Self-Care Strategies

• SOCIAL NETWORK

  • Friends

    • Call a friend after work to take your mind off of your daily tasks

  • Family

    • Spend time with family to reconnect with the people who love you

  • Partner/Spouse

    • Share your thoughts and feelings about your day with your partner

  • The Benefits of a Social Network

    • Creates a sense of balance and completeness–now a person can’t make you complete, but having those important social boxes checked will help keep you sane and on track.
      

• EXERCISE

  • Gym

    • Dedicate a specific number of times you will work out at a gym

  • Walking

    • Take a walk during your breaks at work or after work

  • Group Fitness Classes

    • Join a group fitness class to connect with other people and work on your fitness goals

  • The Benefits of Exercise

    • Increase confidence and self-esteem

    • Stress reliever

    • Feeling of accomplishment during and after a workout

    • Helps achieve goals
      

• LEARNING

  • Reading

    • Find books on topics you are interested in

    • Take time to read the book each day or a few times a week

  • Podcasts

    • Listening to podcasts is fun

    • Find a show that holds your attention and brings you new thoughts and ideas

  • Youtube videos

    • Church sermons

    • Learning how to cook new foods

  • Learn a new skill

  • The Benefits of Learning

    • A growing mind is a good mind – You will be able to have conversations with people about what makes you happy and the new ideas, concepts, lessons you have learned, ultimately making you a more well-rounded person.
      

• ALONE TIME

  • Journaling

    • Take some time as soon as you wake up to write in a journal.

    • Write about anything that is on your mind

  • Meditation

    • Set aside time first thing in the morning to breathe and release your thoughts.

    • Try to focus on your breathing and not on your to-do lists

  • Words of affirmation

    • Write down some words of affirmation that you know work for you

    • Before you leave for work or on your way to work speak those affirmations out loud

  • Silence with your thoughts

  • The Benefits of Alone Time

    • Relaxes your mind and allows you to focus on the things you need to make you be a better person–mother, daughter, friend, spouse, etc.
      

• APPEARANCE

  • Hygiene is important – Dental is NUMBER 1!

  • Take care of the clothes you wear, and when you get dressed be mindful of colors and how they make you feel.

  • The Benefits of Appearance

    • Look Good, Feel Good!
      

• SLEEP

  • Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. I know it may seem like a hard task, but it is so important to your overall health.

  • The Benefits of Sleep

    • Recharge your body and your mind!