This month Citi is talking about non-negotiable self-care strategies to succeed

Monday 26 September 2022

When we search the definition of self-care we are greeted with the following “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health”, but what does self-care really mean and why is it so important?

With the start of covid and the pandemic at the beginning in 2020 self-care has become particularly important in everyone’s life as we were forced to stay at home, often with no family and friends around us and little hope as we entered an unprecedented time. Whilst we are slowly coming out of lockdown, with a return to the “new normal” it is crucial that we do not forget about the important of self-care and fitting this into our daily routine.

The following article focuses on three areas that are part of self-care and which we can incorporate into our lives to help us reach our goals and succeed.

EXERCISE
The first step to taking care of ourselves is having an active lifestyle. This does not mean going to the gym 5 days a week or joining a bootcamp. Exercise comes in many forms, and it is vital that we chose something which we enjoy as this will make sure that it is not a burden in our life, but 30-60 minutes a day which brings joy not just because of the physical changes, but the endorphins released will slowly start changing our mood.

When choosing our desired exercise there are many things we can chose from. More and more fitness influencers have made it easy for us to work out from home with body weight or small weight workouts which can be incorporated with household items such as kitchen appliances or just a bottle of water and done at a time most suitable for us. However, daily exercise can also be a hobby i.e., tennis, horse riding, cycling or even a 30-minute walk. The list goes on.

One thing for sure, whatever we chose it needs to be something that we do with enjoyment so we will stick to it in the long run.

FOOD / EATING WELL
Secondly, we must also make sure that we follow a healthy and nutritious diet. Essentially, we become what we eat. Therefore, what we bring into our is vital as it can have an affect not only our appearance but also on our minds.

Often a healthy diet is mistaken for a boring diet. A healthy diet does not mean cutting out our favourite foods. It rather means incorporating with healthier alternatives or smaller portion sizes. For example, bread, pasta, milk and chocolate can all be a part of a healthy diet. We can choose to eat wholemeal instead of white, dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk and it is much easier now to access pasta which has been made with lentil, spinach or green peas. However, if we wish to enjoy the original pasta, pizza, chocolate or ice cream we can. What is important to remember here is “everything in moderation”. Which means even the “bad foods” can be enjoyed if we incorporate portion sizes.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE
As mentioned in the beginning, in 2020 we entered unprecedented times which led to a lot of us working from home. Whilst a lot of employees and employers are now returning to the office some companies have taken an approach not to. As the novelty of the home office quickly wears off, we might face challenges such as stress and frustration which can then have a negative impact on our personal life. Below are 3 tips which can help be more productive from home:

•   Having a checklist and ticking off as you work through your day.
•   Having a calm space and noise free environment to be able to concentrate.
•   No distractions such as mobile phones, tv around you.
•   Taking necessary breaks.
•   Setting a starting and finishing time so we can have a life outside of working hours.