I want to share an article that I came across a few days ago, which I think presents some really valuable ideas about how to have a more balanced and successful life. To read the article in its entirety, click here. However, this statement really sums it up: “Self-care is the secret to performing at the highest level” (and I completely agree!). There are the six things the author promotes in order to achieve both self-care and high professional performance:
"1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your
body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the
morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh.
When do you drink your first glass of water each day?
2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks
himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will
complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep
until the Top 3 are complete. What’s your "Top 3" today?
3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by
working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only
one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10
minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends,
meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What’s your most important
task for the next 50 minutes?
4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us
healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most
mornings you’ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you
sweat today?
5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness,
which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes
out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll
pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for. What are you grateful
for today?
6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through
10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What
needs improvement?” So... what went well today? How can you do more of
it?"
To begin with, I particularly like that the author referred to these six ideas as 'rituals', rather than as 'habits'. This re-labelling emphasises how these simple daily practices are more than just acts; they are also profoundly lifestyle-shifting and mind-transforming.
I am already a devout practitioner of these three:
#1. In fact, I not only have a glass of water as soon as I wake up, but I have water with a small spoon of blue-green algae (either spirula or chlorella - I alternate) with a dash of maca mixed into it. It's mega superfood with a ton of antioxidants... high protein content... incredibly energising, especially with the maca... and I cannot even describe to you the amazing impact it's had on my immune system.You might not think that sounds terribly appealing, but you will actually get to like the taste after a while, I promise. :) And if you don't, you can always get it in tablets to take with a large glass of water!
#4. Whether I begin my day with a walk to to my colleague's flat for a ride to work, or go for a walk in the forest at lunch (because I have the luxury of working in a forest!), or whether I have an early-morning training session at the gym, I make sure to fit exercise in there somewhere... and it's probably a major perk of not owning a car. The really funny part is that if I get up for the gym at 5:30 and lose an hour of sleep as a result, I will still inevitably feel more energised during the day than if I had gotten the extra sleep! So worth it.
#5. I recount the things I am grateful for at least once per day - I am as religious about doing this at bedtime every night as I am about flossing my teeth. I also often find myself doing it during my walk home from work, although sometimes it happens when I'm laying in bed in the morning and trying to convince myself to leave the warm sheets by remembering all the good awaiting me in the outside world. I find that this is the most important and profound thing I do with my day because it immediately makes me feel happier and more joyful about my life, even if I've woken up on the wrong side of the bed or just not had a great day.
Now, given I am missing the other three of these rituals, there is clearly significant room for improvement...
#2. I really like the idea of the 'Top 3'. However, I struggle with being able to set realistic timelines for tasks, and I'm not sure how to resolve that. I think it began during my PhD... I would set goals about how much writing or reading or whatever I would accomplish within a set period of time, and I never managed to do it. Most of that was a result of setting unrealistic, unaccomplishable goals. It was an especially silly thing to do in that I am already afflicted by a chronic case of 'impostor syndrome', and so setting myself up for failure really hasn't done anything in terms of helping me to feel good about my abilities. Maybe the key is giving myself signficantly more time than I think I will need... and using that as a way to help re-set my gauge for setting realistic goals. And maybe starting with a 'Top 2' tasks. Easy does it!
#3. This reminds me of the 'Pomodoro Technique', which my friend Shauna absolutely swears by. I've never been able to get into it... and I wonder if blocking websites like FB might be the only feasible way to actually get into a 50-minute 'zone' of productivity! I also recently started to experiment with a program called 'OmmWriter' that provides a sort of meditative space for writing that is free of distractions (although I still somehow manage to get distracted from it!). I might give the program, and the 50 minute timer, another shot whilst I'm writing my dissertation between Yule and the New Year, though.
#6. I sort of do this... but it's not intrinsic to my ritual of gratitude (#5 stuff). I'm thinking it would be good to add. It may also help me to stop beating myself up for not doing as much work as I 'should be', which leads me to what #7 would be, if there was one...
#7. Be kind to yourself by owning and being proud of your successes. Don't just note what went well, but thank yourself for showing up and putting the effort in. For being brave to do things that are different and scary in order to make changes in your life. That's much, much more than just taking an inventory of what you accomplished and what you need to work on, because if you don't give yourself that positive reinforcement, who else are you going to get it from? I believe it is better to get one's motivation from being driven to succeed, rather than from being desperately afraid of failure. For the record, I think I'm more in the latter end of that spectrum... but I'm working on changing that.
Remember: we are all, always, works in progress. :)
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