Here's how you can focus on self-care while advancing in your career.

Make it a priority to schedule regular breaks and downtime to recharge. Incorporate healthy habits like exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep into your daily routine. Set boundaries to maintain a clear separation between work and personal life. Lastly, practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques to manage stress and maintain a positive outlook.

You need to learn to prioritise yourself, be able to set boundaries and say no. A lot of us are people pleasers in order to be liked, accepted and fit in. If you are not careful and you keep on giving you can end up burned out. Therefore make sure to make yourself and you wants and needs a priority. Fill up your own cup first before you pour onto others.

1. Adopt the Sprint-Recover cycle: Plan for recovery time after intense work periods. 2. Integrate recovery into project planning: Schedule self-care alongside deadlines. 3. Diversify recovery strategies: Replenish physical, mental, and emotional energy through various activities. 4. Communicate proactively: Discuss expectations and needs with coworkers and family members before sprint periods. 5. Reframe recovery as essential: View self-care as a critical component of your success strategy. By implementing these strategies, you can maintain energy levels, avoid burnout, and advance your career without sacrificing wellbeing. Remember, your professional journey is a marathon, not a sprint!

No matter how busy you are. Always make time for self-care. A great way to do this is to exercise. It elevates your mood and makes you feel so much happier. Go for walks in nature. Usually great ideas pop up in those times of silence. Also don't forget to spend time with loved ones. Life is all about balance.

Reflection is the key to self awareness. Regardless of what you are trying to achieve in life, it's important to take a moment to take stock and reflect on your journey so far. When it comes to self care, asking yourself questions like - How do I feel when I make my self care a priority? How do I feel in myself when I neglect my self care? How does my self care impact others? How do I want to show up and am I showing up that way? Where in my day can I make time for self care? Regularly checking in with yourself this way can help to anchor you back to the "why", to the reason why it's important to prioritise your self care.

Don't think that self care is a an onerous task, something else to be added to an already busy list. Self care is ANYTHING we do consciously that protects our mental or physical health. So it can be as easy as saying "no" when you need to, taking breaks between meetings, or reading a book rather than your work emails while you're travelling.

Consider self-care to be something that influences your personal brand, as a manager/leader/creative/technician etc. You can’t influence others - consciously/mindfully if you don’t have a grasp on your own emotions … and you are unlikely to be emotionally regulated if you aren’t meeting your own needs. Also, if someone presents as stressed/burnt out … is that a person you would share your concerns with? People can use self care as a tool for career progression because you are not progressing if you are not functioning well, or you are not seen as regulated, trustworthy and in-control by others, especially those you seek to influence or lead.