When we think of self-care, itโs easy to relate it to regular exercise, a balanced diet and taking time out for our favourite, relaxing pastime. Doing all or some of these is fantastic but our self-care involves a whole lot more. Amy Gallagher from Tula Wellness kicks off a new series covering Wellness in Workplace…
So, What is self-care?ย
We read a lot about self-care these days and it can be defined in many ways. My favourite definition is: โSelf-care is giving the world the best of you instead of whatโs left of youโ.
So many of us walk around with our inner wells half full or even empty. We put others first, we work too many hours, we donโt take enough time to nourish our bodies, to calm the mind.
We clock up countless hours scouring social media, comparing ourselves to the โperfectโ world of others.
We eat too much, drink too much, think too much, spend too much.
How often is our inner well full and overflowing with an abundance of energy?
Self-care is notโฆ
โข adding more to your to-do list so you become even more stressed or anxious about all the things you need to achieve
โข a quick fix or emergency fix to feeling out of control, overwhelmed, exhausted, unwell or anxious
โข being selfish โ our cup needs to be full so we can offer the best version of ourselves to everyone around us
The circle of self-care
Above right is the Circle of Self-Care. It shows all the different aspects of our inner and outer worlds that we need to nourish and look after in order to feel balanced, healthy and happy. Look at each segment and ask yourself if this is an area
– you frequently look after
– sometimes look after
- isnโt even on your radar
Donโt be alarmed if thereโs a lot that you feel you are neglecting. Sometimes we just require a small change to our routine to make us feel more balanced.
For example โ you could improve your physical self-care by going to bed an hour earlier every night rather than watching another Netflix show. Sleep is a massive contributor to our wellbeing, mood and healing.
Or you could decide that you will not look at social media as soon as you wake up. Instead you could use that half an hour to have a gratitude diary and write down a list of 10 things you are grateful for in your life โ it creates a beautiful energy to start your day with rather than comparing yourself to a photoshopped celeb on Instagram.
Remember that it all begins with us โ when we make ourselves and our wellbeing a priority, we have more fulfilling relationships, a happier and positive outlook on life, a good work/life balance and we are a whole lot more effective in the workplace.
JOIN US AT THE WORKPLACE WELLNESS & WELLBEING SUMMIT
Amy Gallagher will be speaking at the Workplace Wellness & Wellbeing Summit โ a new event hosted by PA Life, in partnership with the PA Show.
PA Life will be holding a series of exclusive seminar sessions during the two days of the PA Show โ which takes place on February 25th & 26th 2020 at ExCel, London.
To find out more about the Summit and to get regular updates on speaker sessions and more, email editorial@palife.co.uk.
