I know what you’re thinking. “There’s no way a day at the spa is going to boost my productivity,” and you might be right. But you could be wrong.
What Self-Care Isn’t
Before we can talk about how self-care frees your energy allowing you to be more productive, let’s talk about what self-care is. We’re inundated with two opposing views of self-care, and they’re both inaccurate. The first message comes from our capitalist culture. Facebook and Instagram memes pepper us with pictures of someone in a bubble bath drinking a glass of wine with the words “self-care” airbrushed across in fancy pink letters. Maybe. It’s the message you see in ads for nail salons and upscale facial cleansers. These things can be self-care, but I’m not sure they should be our first thought on the subject. If you’ve had a rough day or long week and need to detox to process your experiences, a bubble bath can definitely be self-care. But forcing yourself to eat, because it’s been six hours since you last had food and your body needs fuel—or in my case, forcing myself to walk away from second helpings and slices of cheesecake—is also self-care. Turning your phone off early enough you can still get eight hours of sleep isn’t glamorous, but rest matters for your body to function.
The second incorrect message we often get when we talk about self-care is that people who do things for themselves are selfish. Are you really going to leave your kid at home with a babysitter just to spend an hour at the gym? You’re so lucky to have such a high-power job. You’re going to take a day off because you’re tired or not feeling your best? Yes! Please take a day off if you’re not feeling well. If the only way you can find time in your busy schedule to get thirty minutes to yourself for a quick workout is to use a babysitter, do it. Think about it like this. When planes make emergency landings, you put your mask on before you put your child’s on. You’re no good to your clients, your business, or your family when you haven’t been good to yourself.
What Self-Care Is
The World health organization—something many of us had never heard of this time last year but has become common knowledge—defines self-care as “The ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”
Using that definition, it’s easy to see that self-care is about keeping us healthy, so we can be productive. Some doctors estimate 60-70% of chronic illnesses could be eliminated with proper nutrition and rest. Half an hour of exercise a few times a week and a balanced diet saves you sick days later.
Taking Self-Care a Step Further
But Ph.D. and behavior change expert Dr. Kara Morh takes it a step further than even the world health organization. In an interview with girlsgonestrong.com, she says, “Self-care is taking care of and honoring your body, mind, and spirit in a way that activates your best self.” If you aren’t the best you that you can be because you aren’t taking time to destress, rest, and nourish your body, how can you be all the things people in your life count on you to be? That’s not to say you’ll never pull an all-nighter meeting a deadline. I’m a firm believer in deadlines, but there has to be balance in life. Maybe if you know you just survived a chaotic project, you take some time to rest once it’s done. You can also make healthy food choices and drink water while you’re going through phases with less time for rest. Self-care doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Since we’ve struck down the idea that self-care is selfish and it’s also not the one thousand hashtags that come through your various social media streams every day, and agreed it’s different for everyone, what is self-care? And how is it going to boost my productivity?
Self Care For You
Think about your goals and what your body needs. Is signing another client, losing twenty pounds, or having more time to play with your kids going to get you closer to the life you want? Because the easiest way to define self-care is this: It gets you closer to your goals. I want to be healthy so I can play with my kid at the playground. To do that, I need to shed some pounds so I’ll have more energy. For me, at this stage in my life, self-care is meal planning and prepping so I have healthy foods available. It’s making time for yoga and then taking time to remember that the twenty to thirty minutes I spent in downward dog is going to make me a warrior when I move back to my office because I’ve improved my circulation and taken time to clear my mind.
If you’ve just recovered from surgery, self-care might be going to physical therapy once a week or walking five minutes a day until you can hit ten minutes. If you’ve worked from home through a pandemic with no separation for work and rest, self-care this week might mean finding a place to work and committing to only working there to create mental boundaries and better sleep.
Self-care is the 401k of productivity. It’s all the tiny steps you take throughout the day to keep you well, keep your mindset balanced and move closer to your goals. Invest in rest.
