Why we deserve that day off: The importance of taking care of yourself

When people ask me what my spirit animal is I always answer truthfully: A sloth… but not one of those motivated ones though.

The truth is, we all have to work and to deal with the constant pressures of making sure we can balance our lives. We need to be there physically and emotionally for the people in our lives as well as for what we do for a living. If we are lucky, we find those roles to be fulfilling. If not, we often seek ways to make the change so that we are. I know that working retail was the best motivator that I could have hoped for to get through school and into my professional job!

Sometimes we work long hours and odd schedules to get to where we want to be. This can lead to us hitting a state of Burnout. What does that look like?

Symptoms of Burnout:

• Exhaustion

  • Physical

  • Emotional

  • Spiritual

• Feeling detached

• Being cynical or less empathy

• Feeling like what you are doing doesn’t matter

• Denying your own needs, wants, and desires

Burnout exists across all settings professional and personal. We get there slowly. Burnout is very sneaky. We’re not talking about a major event that destroys your desire to set foot in the office again. We are talking about a slow, insidious build up.

Think about it like this: If I handed you a folder full of papers and had you carry them around all of the time, you would get used to that weight. If I were to come by periodically and add more paper a few sheets at a time, I would eventually double or even triple the extra weight you were carrying. Eventually, that burden would make you sore, cranky, and generally miserable.

Hopefully, you might notice the extra weight and get rid of those extra pounds. That’s what self-care is for! We can’t always escape on vacation, but we can decrease our burdens and refill our personal resources.

REMEMBER: SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH:

When you get on an airplane and watch that safety video, the air mask section always says put on yours before you put on anyone else’s. What they’re saying is that you can’t help someone else if you are not keeping yourself in good shape to provide it. Taking time to make sure you’re feeling good is essential to developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

How do we do it?

Tip#1: Give yourself permission to relax and decompress.

You don’t need to be on 24/7. No one expects you to. If they do, they don’t respect you as a person. If you need time to take care of yourself, take it! What’s the point of getting ahead if you are not healthy enough to enjoy it?

Tip #2: Have a ritual

Make sure you have time between work and your personal life. If you are thinking about work when you are not scheduled, you’re still at work and you’re working for free. When you are done, literally tell yourself “I am done for the day.” When you get home, change clothes. Do something fun or relaxing. You may have more obligations, but you need to give yourself those moments too.

Tip #3: Stay healthy

Food, sleep, and exercise have a role in changing our outlook. Make sure you are getting the right kind and right amount of all three.

Tip #4: Set boundaries

Make sure that the other people in your life give you that space and help you to take care of yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boss, significant other, or kids. Don’t feel guilty about needing that time. It makes you a better person the rest of the day.

At the end of the day, we all experience burnout to some degree or another. Having healthy coping skills, a good social support network, and the right attitude will get you to the place you want to be.