Hard working professionals of all kinds face the risk of stress overload, exhaustion, and burnout. How do they care for themselves to reduce that risk and build resilience. In many cases they buy a yoga class, a massage, a spa package, a cruise or something like that on a random, infrequent basis. Feeling relief for an hour is not going to do the trick. For self-care to merit the word it has to be consistent and woven into the fabric of your daily life. You need to be the motivator, the coach, and the participant. What are examples of feasible, doable self-care? Taking a walk with your spouse or partner every night after dinner. Going to the gym or playing pickleball 3-4 times a week. Taking 20-30 minutes every day to engage in a stretching, breathing or meditation practice. Spending at least 30 minutes 4 or more nights a week sitting on a comfortable chair or couch and listening to your favorite classical music. Another example is getting mental stimulation using audio books or podcasts about topics you find fascinating rather than troubling and distressing. Even having long phone or Zoom conversations with dear friends who live far away once every couple of weeks can help. Whatever practices of self-care you choose, for them to work, you have the active force carrying them out, not a passive consumer.
