Description

“Self-care is the act of intentionally and unintentionally engaging in thoughts and actions that have positive and affirming impacts on our mind, body and spirit." explains Kim Crosby, a community organizer and yoga teacher. "It looks different for everyone based on preference, culture and lived experience. It can change depending on our ages, our location, even the season. Self-care is one of the most valuable activities that we can engage in. It keeps us resilient and able to take care of others in a world that is hard on us.”

Unless you sustain the Change Maker, you can’t sustain Change. For us, as young people, to be able to take care of the world, we need to make sure we’re able to take care of ourselves. – Matt Tod

As Nigel Marsh so passionately states in his talk, we must take responsibility for our own work-life balance. So how do we begin to take care of ourselves? Here are a few strategies to get you started and provide inspiration for your own framework for personal sustainability.

• Make priorities. Set weekly priorities for your work, physical health, family and mental health. Design your priorities each Sunday for the week ahead. Ensure you include a sufficient balance between “me-time” and “social time” depending on your personal preferences.
• Pick your moments of genius. You probably already know the optimal conditions for your own productivity and genius. Maybe you are a very early morning person who likes to get it all done quietly while the rest of world is still asleep. Or maybe you hit your creative peak after your 4:30pm kickboxing class. If you are unsure about when you are most productive, you may want to capture all of your activities in a journal for the week and then analyze when you maximized your creative drive. Want an automated way to do just that? RescueTime sets itself up on your computer and can track efficiency based on how you use your computer.
• Set boundaries. The most empowering word in any language is “no”. Sometimes you have to say “no” to others in order to say “yes” to yourself. That means setting boundaries on yourself and your time. At the end of the day, the anxiety or discomfort that comes with having to say “no” is insignificant compared to the burden you will feel in biting off more than you can chew.
• Show gratitude and love. There are probably so many people you engage with on a daily basis that add so value to your work and life. No doubt you are grateful for the collaborators, friends, clients, family, and team members who are part of your community. The trick is not just acknowledging that but spreading the word.

(Adapted from Kristle Calisto-Tavares article on How to Transform the Daily Grind into the Daily Groove)

 

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Task

1. Get inspired by watching Nigel Marsh's TED Talk on How to Make Work-Life Balance Work

2. Review the tips and strategies on self-care provided in the activity.

3. Identiy 4 weekly strategies you will employ in order to sustain yourself and create a post in Discussions to share them with others.

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Learning Objectives

This activity will help to instill a healthy understanding of self-care and mindfulness. Tips and strategies will be outlined for you to integrate into your own life and process. Featured skills and competencies include: stress management, time management, planning/organizational skills, risk management, being realistic and being resourceful.

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