How many times have you come across a person who’s so focused on making money and accumulating wealth that he/she doesn’t, “have time” to take care of himself? Sounds pretty silly when you say it out loud to others, but does it sound bad when you say it to yourself?
Here’s What I’m Talking About:
- “I don’t have time to go to the gym because I work too much.”
- “I can’t take a vacation because there’s too much to do.”
- “I used to go to church, but now I’m so tired at the end of the week, I don’t bother.”
Sad True story.
A friend of mine took a day off from work to attend the funeral of her friend’s husband. The man who passed away was a corporate attorney who practiced law all of his life. He worked 60+ hour work weeks and had a blackberry permanently attached to his hand. He rarely took a proper vacation and never “had enough time” to visit with his grandkids for an extended period of time.
Three days before he passed, the man’s family, friends and co-workers hosted a huge retirement party in his honor. He told everyone at the party how happy he was to finally be able to retire so he could do the things he loves to do; spend time with his kids and grandkids, travel with his wife and renew a golf-membership he hadn’t been able to use in 15 years. Sadly, he was never able to do any of those things because he died of a massive heart attack.
It’s stories like that, that help me keep my, “money making” motivation in perspective. Of course I’ll continue to work hard, make money and save for retirement. I just want to make sure that I live long enough to enjoy that retirement. What does that mean? Self-Care!
Ironically, all of the things I tell my clients, are the exact things I should be telling myself. Things like, “You have to take good care of yourself if want want to take good care of others”, “You can’t neglect your health now and buy it back later” and, “Slow down and enjoy the small things in your day-to-day life.”
Examples of Self-Care:
- Physical Self-Care. Eating balanced meals – for me this means making my meals and taking them to work, scheduling (and attending) medical appointments, exercising regularly, getting massages, getting enough sleep etc.
- Mental Self-Care. Eliminating stress or stressful situations, talking to friends, family or a therapist. Avoid over-extending yourself (saying “no” is OK). Spending time with people you love.
- Emotional Self-Care. Accepting compliments, spending time with people you love, making time to re-read books you like, spending time doing hobbies you enjoy, writing letters, attending inspirational lectures/talks/musical events.
- Spiritual Self-Care. Journaling, meditating, reading, writing, volunteering, making time for spiritual connection, praying and take time to reflect on what’s meaningful in your life.
- Self-Care at work. Taking your lunch break (seriously! do it), making time to talk to co-workers, identifying tasks that are rewarding, setting limits on your time, negotiating for your needs.
What are the ways you take care of yourself and find balance? What could you be better at?
Image: Paula R. Lively