Today’s “hustle” culture promotes the idea of simply pushing harder, substituting force and work for nuance and process.  In the culture “work hard for success,” self-care is often overlooked and pushed aside for seemingly more important and often what feels to be more pressing commitments.

The truth is that self-care has to remain a priority.

If you are worn out, exhausted and focusing more on working harder than working smarter you begin to forget that effort is NOT always progress.

You still need self-care in your life.  Without self-care you simply cannot function at your optimum; areas of your life – the very areas that support your ultimate success – will suffer. While the Internet, smart phones, WFH (Work From Home) workplaces and Zoom may support efficiency they also crowd out more nuanced self-insights such as what time of day you work most clearly, how you prefer to communicate and whether you work best solo or in a team.  Tapping into ways to listen and care for yourself is a far deeper answer for deeper and larger success than simply pushing; there are still ways you can implement self-care in your life.

Here are ten ways you can add self-care to your routine so that you can maintain your physical, mental and emotional health.

1. Identify What Self-Care Is to You

We all have different needs and different ways of unwinding. Identify what self-care is the most effective for you. It may be taking a walk and getting outdoors or curling up by the fire with a good book. It may be surrounding yourself with good friends, taking a bike ride or soaking in a long, hot bath. Whatever it is, learn to define self-care for you as an individual so that you can better take care of yourself.

2. Establish A Routine

Once you understand what self-care works for you, add it to your routine. Commit to engaging the activity regularly until it becomes a habit, something that is simply a normal part of your life.  If you have not already drawn up a “Master Schedule” of your regular days with time for work, working on goals, exercise and self-care, now is the time.  Maintaining a regular schedule goes miles towards supporting consistent progress forward in your life.

3. Get Regular, Good Quality Sleep

Again: f*ck hustle culture.  Sleep is NOT for the weak and you are proving no one wise by the diminishing returns of skimping on sleep.  Sleep is a critical part of maintaining good health and should not be underestimated or undermined. By implementing a sleep routine, you can ensure that you are getting enough rest and are therefore optimally prepared to perform at your best.  Establish a sleep routine so that you are getting enough high-quality sleep.

4. Eat A Balanced Diet

Diet is an important part of self-care and has a significant impact on your health. Use an online application to map out your metas (protein, complex carbohydrate and fat needs).  Put a modicum of effort into getting ahead of your needs by planning out tomorrow’s healthy meals.  Then make sure to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, avoiding soft drinks, sugar, unhealthy fats and processed foods.

5. Exercise Regularly

Exercise keeps us at our best, strengthening ourselves to be capable of more work whether that is seated at a desk or walking up stairs to the upper floor you plan on working on.  Staying fit is not just great for physical health, it is good for mental and emotional health and needs to be a part of any self-care routine.

6. Learn to Say No

It’s often been said that the most successful are not successful for what they do… but for what they DO NOT do.  The ability to establish boundaries can be important to self-care. Give yourself space when you are busy or feeling under pressure. Rather than simply saying yes to everything until things become unbearable or seemingly impossible, learn to say no to focus on actions and steps that move you forward rather than simply throw effort at a problem. 

7. Get Organized

A little organization can go a long way regarding your self-care. After all, you can not change things… if you do not even know where things stand.  Implementing strategies to be more organized can really help reduce your stress and improve your mental health.  Marie Kondo or “Getting Things Done,” are both great places to start for home and business.

8. De-Clutter Your Environment

Get rid of the rubbish and excess goods in your house; a cleaner, less cluttered space is great for your mental health as it will help to reduce stress levels.

9. Schedule Time to Yourself

It can often feel like we are being pulled in a million different directions. If you are a go-getter you already know how much of your time is spent meeting with others, serving others and making things happen… for others.  What we do for others often is the key to success.  At the same time, make sure to schedule time for your self-care.  Time to read for relaxation, meditation, working on a hobby or simply a walk in nature often become surprisingly productive moments, if not in regeneration, then very often in flashes of inspiration and insight.  By all means, serve others.  AND don’t allow your time for yourself to be ignored or interrupted.

10. Take A Break

There is nothing embarrassing or less than powerful to have limits.  We all do and anyone that fails to recognize they do is most likely to be recognized for failing.  If things are getting too much, take a break. It might be taking a few days off work, getting a away for the weekend or taking a longer vacation; regardless of the length, sometime simply stepping out of the environment can be great for perspective and self-care.

Conclusion

The real takeaway is, if you hope to be the largest success you can be in your life, rather than the sole priority of efficiency and working hard, there HAS to be room in your life for WHAT helps you to work at your best.  You are not simply a machine and, even if you were, the “machine” needs regular care and feeding.  Find ways to nurture success because, ultimately your success relies on YOU and YOU still need self-care in your life.

Whatever you want in life – to start a business, obtain a graduate degree, or find the love of your life – I’ve led thousands of people in reaching dreams just like yours. And I KNOW you’re capable of reaching success with the help of my coaching. Reach out now and I’ll even offer you the first session for free!

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“Mark’s deep coaching skills are profoundly insightful. As a coach who shows up fully and authentically, there is no stone he leaves unturned to help his clients see for themselves the highest future vision of themselves and then… he goes that extra mile to ensure that they have all the support that they need to actualize that vision. I am very grateful to Mark’s challenging yet nurturing coaching approach which is a perfect balance to have on the journey to true transformation.“