Self Care during the silly season…

One of the domains of the new industry Retirement Living Capabilities Framework is that of Self Management.

Importantly this domain mentions the ability to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviours to deliver organisational outputs effectively in different situations.

First up it’s vital that we Village professionals are also focused on our own self-care.

In my experience this time of year can provide situations where Village professionals find ourselves tiring, having come out of Annual meetings, facilitated events such as the Melbourne Cup and the various Christmas activities.  It is also a time of year where emotions can more easily run high.

Practising self-care involves recognising when your personal resources are running low and replenishing yourself rather than letting them run down to a point where you face the possibility of illness or burnout.

Here are 10 simple self-care activities to remember at this time of year:

1. Set boundaries and communicate expectations on your availability to ensure that there is not a blurring between work time and home time
2. Stock up on healthy treats in your bottom drawer
3. Make time for a walk or some additional movement
4. Create a habit that allows you the time at the beginning of the day to define perhaps the 3 important tasks you wish to get done
5. Ensure you take a break during the day, away from your office
6. Plan to do something that makes you smile each day
7. Make sure you have a jug of water on your desk
8. Take a deep breath before you respond to a difficult situation
9. Ask for help; tell/share with someone your current challenge 
10. Arrange something you will look forward to outside of work hours