Self-Care: Vital for Career & Life during the Pandemic
Around this time of year, we are always ready for winter to be over. Never more than in 2021, with eleven months of COVID-19 protocols behind us and more mask wearing, social distancing, and Zoom calls ahead until most of us are vaccinated.
What can you do to stay upbeat in the weeks ahead? How does self-care help you tackle your life challenges or impact a possible career transition? You have tried new recipes, watched hours of Netflix, and done every jigsaw puzzle in your home. Now what?
Try these three self-care tactics that will help you keep going and advance forward:
1.) Connect with friends and family outside from your home. Allow yourself time each week to schedule one or two calls with a former colleague, college roommate or family member. Texts are great but allow the time to really talk to someone you know well. If you are tired of being “on camera” after work, curl up in your favorite chair and talk on the phone to someone with whom you can express your frustrations or share the positives in your life. Or take a walk to chat with a friend. You will feel better -- nothing is as important for us humans than connecting!
2.) Look forward and think about your career and life once COVID-19 is under control. We will be living with it for some time to come, but life will begin opening again. Be ready! There will be new job opportunities, schools will be back in person, and families will have gatherings. Spend time to set goals for yourself for the second half of 2021. If you learned things about yourself or your life during this time, determine how can you make positive modifications. If you are unhappy in your work, seek a change. As a career coach I can help you with the steps you need to take to launch a job search or improve your current work dynamics.
3.) Relax and renew and ensure you are doing what you can to reduce your stress. It is not easy for many people to find time with children at home or elderly parents to be concerned about -- yet setting aside some time every week to care for yourself will help you cope with life’s stresses. For me, maintaining my flexibility, stretching, and setting my intentions are key to my well-being, so I have incorporated yoga into my life for many years. A professional friend of mine used the pandemic as the opportunity to turn her experience as a part-time yoga teacher into a broader quest to help others with their well-being. Yoga to Flatten the Curve was created by Mary Beth Johnson and I highly recommend it as a positive break for you to relax and renew.
Life takes unexpected turns – do everything you can to take care of yourself so you can face the challenges and optimize the opportunities that life presents!