Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your goals and so focusing on self-care as a way to minimize the impact of burnout is one of the best investments you can make.
Lisa Caporale
If I could dial back the clock, I would tell my younger self: Self Care is not selfish. Carving out time and spending money on self care is an investment in yourself. It allows you to be the best version of yourself: physically and mentally. Self care is anything that “recharges you” Read more>>
Leslie Claffey
Working for myself has caused me to put so much pressure on myself to work 24/7-this has lead me to depressive episodes, burnout, creative blocks; the list goes on. Meditation has helped me tremendously. I have ADHD, so I listen to guided meditations for about 15 minutes whenever I start to feel overwhelmed. The process became easier when I realized that it was okay to still have intrusive thoughts while meditating, and to just gently remind myself to push them away and keep a clear head. Meditation isn’t something you can fail at and the fact that you’re trying at all is therapeutic in itself! Overthinking limits my productivity, so once I manage it, I am able to perform at a higher level. Read more>>
Sarah “sezi” Silvera
My self care has been integral to my success and mental sanity. It is something that I shy away from when in the thick of “rough seas” but it has been integral to keeping myself focused, positive and moving forward in my life. My self care ranges from sitting with my journal with a cup of tea at dawn to running to getting my hair and nails done to ordering a healthy nutritious meal and sitting and savoring it in my own company. Read more>>
Rebecca Cuje
My journey with self-care has looked very different over the years. When I first started to implement a self-care routine, it was very rigid and looked the same every day – 20 minutes of yoga, 20 minutes of meditation, and 20 minutes of journaling. I usually did this in the morning upon waking and had a very rigid mindset to go with it. My perfectionist tendencies wanted to keep up the consistency and I would be very harsh on myself if I fell off. Looking back now, I needed this consistency and repetition over a long period of time to instill a new habit. Read more>>
Jeff Merkt
There are a few things I do for self-care; cook, travel, try new restaurants but most importantly it would be working out. The most important thing for my overall well-being is exercising. I feel most effective mentally, physically and emotionally if I’ve been consistent with exercising. Everyone in the workforce deals with daily stress and pressure that is mostly non-physical, unless you work in a labor-intensive job. Being able to burn off that stress after work or anytime throughout the day in a healthy manner carries over into other daily activities and from my experience leads to being more positive and resilient as a person. Read more>>
Michelle Lombardo
My self care routine may be out of the ordinary but it works for me! I box, yes, that is part of my self care routine at the moment that helps me to stay active, work on a new skill and as well focus and stay in the moment. I used to box in my 20s, before I had kids and I loved it. It came natural to me as well, having grown up an athlete in competitive sports. About a year and a half ago, I started up again; this was 3 kids and about 14yrs later! I was definitely nervous to get back into it, but I am so glad that I did not let fear get the best of me. Boxing helps me to get out of my head, as sometimes I can be an over thinker. With boxing there is nowhere to be, except exactly where you are, or you will quite literally get punched in the face. Read more>>
Michelle Bordenkircher
This is a very timely question for me. Coming out of a very busy fall season, I felt myself teetering on the edge of burnout and I knew something had to change. Over the past year I have thrown myself headfirst into business and not made time for much else in my life, other than my family. Luckily this time with my family has helped to keep me grounded, but at the same time I lost hobbies that were once important for me. Now, I have been taking more time to do hobbies that I have always loved, and I have noticed love come back into my work as well. For me, some of these hobbies include taking walks in the woods, yoga, reading for enjoyment, and I’m looking forward to getting back into gardening in the coming spring and summer. Read more>>
Patty Saggio
While growing up we would always vacation for a week at the beach. As I got older I took the week after Labor Day and continued spending a week at the beach. I recall my clients asking that if I could live year round at the beach would I and it was a resounding YES! About 18 years ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and that is when self-care become important to me. Once I got my illness under control I had the opportunity to make a move and I wound up across the street from the beach. A lifetime dream became reality and yes I enjoyed the beach all summer but what helped keep my stress level down was the daily walk on the boardwalk all year. Read more>>
Christine Tierney
I started running consistently after the birth of my first son. I’ve always been athletic but running was a sport I’d been hesitant to pursue because I didn’t think I was very fast. And apparently I thought “fast” is a pre-requisite to being a runner. Read more>>
Lilou
For self-care, I prioritize reconnecting with what makes me truly happy and reflects the joys of my childhood. When I need to recenter, I love watching my favorite musicals from the 70s. I also take time to care for my skin and nails, and if it’s sunny, I enjoy long walks by the beach. Dancing is a huge part of my routine—blasting music, singing, or simply moving to release tension and reconnect with my joy. Other times, I turn to reading, cooking, making special meals, or simply chilling to recharge. Read more>>
Bernice Marsala
I find that if I do a short writing exercise every day or so, something will spark that I can expand on and that usually overcomes the block. Read more>>
Monica Stewart
There are a few tools I turn to when creative block strikes. First and most importantly, I surrender. I do my best to not resist it and try to totally let go of what I think should be happening. What I’ve finally learned is that it will always pass and I will feel inspired again, but the more I try to force that, the longer the rut will last. Second, I try to identify what underlying thoughts might be causing the block. Is there fear around the outcome? Am I nervous about how it will be received? Sometimes I find that I’ve created my own block based on some underlying negative feeling, and that is what has me paralyzed. Last but not least, I switch up my environment and try to do something fun! It’s so important to play, and the creative process is really a form of play with nature to begin with. Read more>>
Alix Anopol
I practice yoga and have recently gotten into nervous system regulation, which sounds a lot more intense than it is. Taking moments to be mindful about our stressors and reset throughout the day with breathwork, stretching, meditation, and funky little tricks like vestibular eye work has a major impact on how we show up in the world. Talk therapy is also great, and I am a big advocate for people having an outlet like that to help us get unstuck when we inevitably have those periods, and to work on self-development when we are in our flow. These things have helped me grow from being an employee to being self-employed and trusting the process to welcome in more growth! Read more>>
