Twelve Top Tips for Resilience and Self-Care in Turbulent Times
Twelve Top Tips for Resilience and Self-Care in Turbulent Times
Why it’s so important to prioritise self-care
Are you great at taking care of everyone else, but you tend to put your own needs on the back burner, especially right now during these uncertain and stressful times?
If so, read on…
People like you and me who are passionate about helping others tend to be GIVERS.
You love to help others. And this is a wonderful thing!
BUT…
Sometimes you find yourself giving, giving, giving… and getting very depleted in the process.
And if you’re feeling run down, sluggish, overwhelmed and lethargic, you won’t be able to make the full scale of impact you truly want to.
Well, the good news is…
Here is something that will help
Below, you’ll find 12 tips and reminders of how you can look after your innate resilience and in the process learn to care for yourself, so that you DO have the capacity to care for others
1. STOP – Unplug and let things land. You can’t solve exhaustion by keeping going – you’re already depleted. Have a break; just 10 minutes and rehydrate. Your brain can’t function if you’re thirsty and tired.
2. Don’t listen to that voice inside your head; It’s just a voice! – It’s OK, you’re not a rubbish leader, manager, partner, parent. Who’s giving you a hard time? You are, so don’t. Listen to your language; would you talk to your best friend like that? No – so don’t use those words on yourself. You’re not a stupid idiot (or worse), you’re just human. Emotional Hijacks - Think before you react - Time out – 15 mins. Create the gap between the emotion and the response. Choose how you want to think and behave instead: “I’m going to walk away and respond when I’m calm’” or “How can I keep myself calm here?”.
3. When you feel overwhelm rising up in you - Dump It
Everything, on to paper. Everything inside your head. It may not be pretty, but only you will see it. This will help to put things in perspective and give you a written To Do List.
4. Be your own best Friend - Use the brain dump to look at the list from someone else's perspective. If this list belonged to your best friend, what would you cross off and tell them to dump? Ask yourself ‘what if this doesn’t happen? What are the consequences? Does it REALLY matter? Prioritise what’s left.
5. Eat the Elephant – One Bite at a time – DON’T multitask – Take your #1 priorities and do one of them, all the way through and then only start the next one when you’ve finished.
6. Stop Judging Yourself - Come from a place of acceptance. See your emotions as the waves and tide – they come and go all day – don’t try and stop them. Notice the feeling and label it: “I’m noticing that I’m feeling …. angry/hurt/frustrated, etc. “It’s OK, this is just an emotion/thought. It will pass”
7. Celebrate! Rest and Reward – It’s all about taking regular breaks, conserving your energy and celebrating your achievements. Chocolate biscuit (or just the chocolate), Netflix, listening to music, whatever works for you.
8. Compassion Makes you Stronger - The brain itself experiences empathy and compassion differently and being there empathetically/emotionally for others all the time leads to emotional burnout, while compassion can increase our resilience and approach to stressful situations. Find compassion for them and why they may be behaving so negatively - Connecting not fixing it - Recognise other people’s needs without trying to fix them. You’re responsible for your stuff and other people are responsible for theirs. However, being compassionate and acknowledging/connecting, is powerful. See this article: Neuroscience researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin confirm this
9. Mindfulness – It’s a great way to get into a meditative state, in the present moment. It has many benefits, such as reducing: Anxiety; Panic attacks; Depression. In addition, it helps develop: More self-confidence; Increased energy; Greater well-being. Resource: https://www.everyday-mindfulness.com/19/What-is-Mindfulness.html
10. Get moving! – Movement helps to move those hormones like cortisol out of your muscles. Cortisol is inflammatory – you don’t want it inside you for longer than is needed
11. Journaling every day– Write it all down. Debra Searle used this technique to keep her sane and focused when she singlehandedly rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. Resource: The Choose Your Attitude Journal – Debra Searle MBE – Choose your attitude for the day
12. Last but by no means least - Gratitude – what are you grateful for? Sunny weather, internet connectivity, your first cup of tea in the morning, your family, your unique talents? Resource: The Neuroscience of Gratitude and how it Affects Grief and Anxiety https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/