Making Time for Your Own Self-care

Julia Baumann Sarver
Glow Health Coaching, LLC

If there’s one thing that women in leadership value, it’s connection. Whether it’s checking in in with our colleagues or tending to our family and friends, women in leadership know that strong connections are what create great companies, quality programs, and help us build our relationships.

Lately, connection has come to mean a different thing. In fact, connection, or, being connected all the time, can be rather dangerous. Many of the powerful women I know are always plugged in to their smart phones and laptops, which begs the question: how can we get a break?

Most of us recognize the need for there to be a better balance between our work and our personal lives, but we don’t have a clear plan to make this happen. This summer is a great chance for you to take a close look at all your levels of connection and see where you have room to find a little more balance.

This summer, I encourage you to take the time to relax, renew and recharge. In doing so, you’ll find that you’re able to return to work projects with renewed energy and focus.

1. Relax. When you go on vacation, actually go on vacation. Leave your phone at home, forward all business calls to another number, hide your laptop: do whatever you need to do to get a real break from your work life. There’s a reason our email providers have an “out of office” option, and that’s because we ALL need a real vacation every now and then. And let’s face it: when we’re burned out, we’re not very effective, which means that going on vacation is actually a good thing for your work life. One trick I use to make sure I have a smooth transition back into the office (which means I’m worrying less when I’m on vacation!) is to schedule a day that I dedicate just to replying to emails when I return. This way, I’m not bogged down with meetings or other tasks on my first day back and I have a chance to clean up my inbox.
2.  Renew. Challenge yourself to try something new. Ever notice how life can feel a little dull when we get stuck in a rut? A great way to find more work/life balance is to stretch yourself when you’re on vacation by trying something new, traveling somewhere exotic, or doing that activity you’ve been putting off for when you ‘have time.’ There is no better time than now, and doing new things is healthy for your brain, good for your body, and can be more beneficial than any medication for the soul.
3. Recharge. Although vacations are always valuable, it’s also important to find a way to recharge on a regular basis. A simple way to do this is to create a morning ritual. I recently participated in a 21-Day Meditation Challenge, and I discovered that meditating just 10 minutes each morning helped me keep my focus throughout the day. Surprisingly, I felt like I actually gained time over the challenge because I was much more productive and less distracted. Choose an activity that allows you to arrive at your desk feeling recharged and ready for the task at hand. For some women, this is a morning workout, a cup of coffee and time with a pet, or you can try a simple meditation like I did.

If these ideas feel too challenging, then consider how much you’re currently accomplishing despite being stressed and exhausted. Now, imagine what would be possible if you carved out some time to take care of yourself to let your mind, body and soul relax, renew and recharge.

Take a few minutes and share your thoughts on this matter – if you gave yourself permission to take a break this summer, would that show through in the projects you’re working on? Would you be more present with your family? How else would you know that making time for your own self-care was worth the effort?

Find out more about Julia Baumann Saver at www.findyourglow.com.