When you think about self-care what springs to mind? Is it leisurely lunches, special treats and spa days? Perhaps it feels a little self-indulgent or something which will take up too much time? Whilst it is good to plan occasional indulgent treats, self-care is much more than this. It is about creating space in our daily life to do that which we need to provide energy and to sustain us. Continue reading 7 Reasons why self-care is essential for busy professionals
We all want to lead a fulfilling life. However, this can be hard when you have a demanding job, family responsibilities and are trying to keep on top of daily life. Perhaps there are times when you simply don't have space to consider how life could be more meaningful.
For busy people, a typical day has a packed agenda with little personal time for yourself. There will often be missed lunch breaks, working long hours and not spending enough time with family and friends. It is no wonder that the outcome is often feeling stressed and missing out on doing the things which you find fulfilling.
The well known phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail', attributed to Benjamin Franklin, shows great insight. What's great about this is that we know that by making a good, well-thought-out plan, we are more likely to succeed. We all want to be the best that we can be and planning is key.
Personal values are those things which are most important to you. They include what you believe, what motivates you and those things which makes you happy. Your values will influence your behaviour and guide you in your decisions. While we will hold many beliefs and be motivated by a range of values, there will be a small number which are core and more significant for us. When our lives are aligned to what we believe, we are more likely to live a happy and fulfilled life.
There are times when there is just too much going on. When you're busy with competing demands on your time, it's hard to be as effective as you could be. This leaves you feeling overwhelmed, struggling to get stuff done, and frustrated about the lack of time for yourself.
There are times when we just feel stuck in our personal or professional life.
It could be with an important decision you are struggling to make. There may be a particular challenge or complex situation which just leaves you confused. You may feel unfulfilled with your life in general or ready for a change and just don't have the confidence to move forward.
Do you ever feel stuck? Do you find it hard to focus on what you really need to do? Perhaps you feel like you are on a treadmill going through the day's activities without real clarity and purpose?
This has been my experience recently. I struggled to complete a task which I usually enjoy doing and I didn't know why. Instead I got distracted doing other tasks and felt frustrated that I hadn't achieved what I had set out to do.
After some soul searching and reflection, I discovered what was going on for me and how to move forward. The solution was quite clear!
It is easy to get caught up with the countless tasks and activities of our jobs, and lose sight of what motivates us. We are often asked the question 'what do you do?', but how often are we asked 'why?'.
I was thinking about this recently. The sun was shining and I was having a productive day. Feeling happy and fulfilled in my work, I was really focused. I am passionate about my job and have the opportunity to work with some incredible people, but it has not always been easy.