THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF CARE FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND MOTIVATION
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and burnt out, which in turn can have a negative impact on our productivity and motivation.
Taking care of ourselves is crucial for maintaining our mental and physical health, and it can actually improve our ability to get things done.
I am the world’s guiltiest when it comes to this. I have seen a notable difference in my productivity during times I strive to take better care of myself.
So in this article, we’ll explore the importance of self-care for productivity and motivation.
We all know when we have kids and many different things we are juggling on a daily basis what happens more often than not.
Our thought of self care doesn’t really come up until we are hiding in the bathroom for a minute of peace. After completely losing it because we have now heard our name called 132 times,set dinner on fire plus we still have a shit-ton to do.
That’s when we usually come to the realization that we need just a moment to gather our thoughts so this may then happen to us less often.
We will also talk about some tips for incorporating self-care into your daily routine.
Self-care refers to any intentional activity or practice that we engage in to take care of our physical, mental, and emotional health.
It involves making time for ourselves, prioritizing our needs, and engaging in activities that promote our well-being.
Yes my friends, we can do all of those things without guilt. Just try it and remind yourself that it is necessary and very much needed.
Self-care practices can include things like exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, spending time with loved ones, engaging in hobbies or creative pursuits, a nice hot bath, and also seeking professional help when needed.
By taking care of ourselves, we can reduce stress, improve our mood, and increase our overall sense of well-being, which can have a positive impact on our productivity and motivation.
It will also drastically improve your home life, ladies, especially as mother’s. If you are always putting others needs above your own, try to do one thing daily just for you.
It is the best thing you can do to have things run more smoothly because everyone senses when mom is in a funk. Trust me, especially our babies, they just know.
They sense these things, very much like we just "know" when they are feeling bad or they had a bad day school. It is the way of things no matter how well you hide it, love.
Physical self-care practices
1. Exercise and movement, dancing is my thing because I am just not into the gym like some people, nor do I have time for it. I like to crank up the music, my "vibin' while vacuuming" playlist and I go at it. Clean up a bit and don’t stop moving til you physically feel it.
My kids get a laugh and I do NOT care cause when they are little I’m still the coolest motherfucker they know at the end of the day, always.
I also intentionally put things downstairs I know I’ll need and I run up and down the stairs when it comes time for that item and limit myself to only bringing back one thing I need at a time. I end up making at least 15 or 30 trips down there, sometimes more.
2. Proper nutrition and hydration, this is mega crucial and so easy to forget as a busy mom.
I set timers and have a water bottle with 8 glasses of water labeled on it that I keep room temperature.
I used to only drink ice water but soon realized I can drink it down so much easier when it is room temp. Making staying hydrated 100x easier!
I know it sounds silly but try it if you don’t believe me. Not hot water but just cool enough.
A balanced diet is also essential but I have never been a breakfast person but sometimes I’ll drink two who glasses of carnation instant breakfast, my flavor is french vanilla.
It is heavenly, I even mix half a pack in my coffee some days!
It is a full meal replacement and comes in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, and a cereal flavor even.
It is delicious and another way to keep kiddos healthy when they don’t always eat like we would like them too.
3. Adequate sleep and rest is also one of the biggest things you can do to help yourself.
We are all different and some of us need only 6 hours of sleep, that is not the case with me.
I need a lot more sleep than other people, it's just the way it is, and that is OKAY.
I like a hot shower or bath if there's time, nighttime skincare, even just lotion all over and the nightly journaling.
Then all lights out, earplugs that still allow me to hear if one of the kids cries out at night, or I keep one in and the ear against the pillow I leave it be if I worry I'll sleep too hard on nights I'm particularly exhausted.
B. Emotional self-care practices
1. Journaling and self-reflection is hugely beneficial, whether you ask your spirit guides for guidance and let them work through you.
Maybe you simply write down anything that comes to mind. It helps.
I always try to start the day with expressing gratitude on paper and end the night with a "Brain Dump" it also helps me to sleep instead of lying awake thinking of everything from birthing kids to what I should’ve said that time in 7th grade or whatnot.
ADHD brain doesn’t quit.
2. Mindfulness and meditation, tarot and oracle cards are also very beneficial.
3. Seeking therapy or counseling,support groups, online chat forums, 1800-askanurse, & other hotlines if you even think for a second something unsettling, it’s always easier to to do maintenance on thought patterns, feelings you don’t understand, your behavior, and reactions to situations in life than it is to try to repair what has become a fullblown problem or habit you can’t control.
Use healthy coping mechanisms in life and your kids will one day teach their children your positive parenting and self care lessons improving future generations exponentially.
C. Social self-care practices also help, it can be the most wonderful thing going out to have drinks with friends, catching up with a friend, even a date night.
1. Spending time with loved ones is so very important, we all need to stop staring at these tiny screens and communicate as we are intended. Reading to better ourselves aside.
2. Building a support system is wonderful but there are several options that can be beneficial to those of us with a very small social circle.
Online fb groups and sites such as put the plug in the jug and do something.org.
Writing on medium and vocal, interacting in groups on FB and community events such as Celebrate Recovery meetings, volunteering and church are all really great things to try.
3. Setting healthy boundaries is hard, I know, just remind yourself and others that we are all human, we have not the ability to read minds, communication in all matters of life is key.
Why wouldn't we want to be better people and easier to be around ,respectively for the people in our lives as well as ourselves.
Tips for Incorporating Self-Care into Everyday Life for Improved Productivity and Motivation
A. Create a self-care routine and stick to it. It may be harder than it sounds but honestly 1 thing at a time.
It could be a weekly mani/Pedi, a few chapters uninterrupted of a great book, or something as simple as walking outside for a few minutes taking in the beauty you find everywhere that we so often overlook.
B. Prioritize self-care in daily routines, take 10 minutes before kids wake up or while they are getting ready for bed and do a quick expression of gratitude, be still, say affirmations and be thankful for all you have, this can only increase all you have to be grateful for.
C. Identify and address barriers to self-care. Note when you have the best ideas or the most time to do the thing you love.
Kids got soccer practice, take a hot bubble bath, kids at a sleepover.... Do you girl or (hey guy’s too).
Anyway you want, prioritize & make small plans for yourself and try your hardest to get to that self care space.
You will crave the peace it allows after the first time but the more you meditate the more natural it becomes.
Challenge yourself to meditate 5 mins., to meditate 10 mins., To gently bring your wandering mind back to focusing on your breathing etc.
I have found guided meditations to be my jam guys! Something I never would’ve thought but it helps me focus on their voice and what they are saying, the prompts they use to guide me really helps but I know other people that need complete silence to get in the groove.
D. Find self-care practices that work for you.
As stated some things work better for me than they will you and so-on etc.
Find things and try new things that make you feel calm , things you find relaxing to you.
Some exercise, some read, some cook delicious foods while others claim to enjoy cleaning but we are all different. Find your thing.
An old Native American proverb says, "Find your peace, and then you'll find your purpose."
In conclusion, self-care plays an important role in enhancing productivity and motivation in our daily lives.
Prioritizing self-care activities helps us to recharge our minds and bodies, enabling us to perform at our best in various tasks.
It is important to encourage each other to prioritize self-care activities in our daily routines. Remember, self-care is not selfish or a luxury, but a necessity.
In our busy lives, it is easy to neglect self-care, but we must make a conscious effort to practice self-care to achieve our goals. Take time to tune in to your needs and make it a priority to take care of yourself.
In conclusion, let's commit to prioritizing self-care to improve our productivity and motivation levels, as it leads to a happier and healthier life. Take care of yourself, and you'll be better equipped to take care of everything that lies ahead.
