Self-care: How much is enough?
The Question
The question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately is, “How much self-care is really enough?”
Even though I’m a firm advocate for self-care and practice it on the regular, the answer still surprised me (more on my # later).
There are countless benefits to great self-care, and yes, it will absolutely help you grow your business and get your work done faster.
Here are just a few of the amazing bennies you reap from really great self-care:
- Higher productivity
- Increased focus
- Replenished energy
- Creative thinking
- Better decisions
- Stronger immunity
- Reduced stress
- Generosity
Perhaps you’ve heard the old proverb, “To cut down a tree in five minutes, spend three minutes sharpening your ax.”
Real self-care is about sharpening your ax (you) to swing and chop effectively at your big goals, to build your business and live your best life.
Here are just a few things I put under the umbrella of self-care:
- Shower/getting ready
- Eating a healthy breakfast + lunch (dinner is household & social time for me)
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Journaling
- Hobbies such as music or hiking
- Personal care services such as getting a massage, your hair cut, or a lash lift (my new favorite treat – no more eyelash curlers!)
- Doctor’s appointments
- Doing nothing time
The Answer
So back to the question: How much self-care is enough self-care?
After doing some time-tracking and given the current season in my life, my self-care time is 4 hours a day.
Does that surprise you? It certainly surprised me. I expected it to be much less.
In full transparency, I’m currently in a season where I’m putting a lot of attention to my health as I’m recovering from chronic pain and fatigue, but even when I’m back to 100%, I don’t see number changing.
You may be in a different season, perhaps caring for small children or an elderly parent. You may be balancing school and building a business.
As such, I recommend you reevaluate your time every six months, and ask yourself, “How much self-care do I need right now?” When life feels stressful, you may need a little more, not less. By setting up realistic expectations (not trying to cram all your self-care in an hour), you can keep your ax sharp and better tackle your day.
And, please, don’t skimp here. Don’t go for the bare minimum. Go for an abundance of self-care.
Everyone wins when you are at your best.
