How can you prioritize self-care when serving others?

1 Assess your needs

The first step to prioritizing self-care is to assess your own needs and challenges. You may be facing stress, burnout, fatigue, anxiety, or other issues that affect your well-being and performance. You may also have personal or professional goals that require your attention and energy. To assess your needs, you can use various tools and methods, such as self-reflection, journaling, feedback, coaching, or counseling. The goal is to identify the areas that need improvement, the resources that you have or need, and the actions that you can take to address them.

2 Set boundaries

The second step to prioritizing self-care is to set boundaries that protect your time, energy, and space. As a servant leader, you may feel obliged or pressured to take on more responsibilities, tasks, or requests than you can handle. You may also have difficulty saying no, delegating, or asking for help. However, this can lead to overcommitment, resentment, or exhaustion. To set boundaries, you need to communicate clearly and respectfully what you can and cannot do, what you expect and need from others, and what you are willing to negotiate or compromise on. You also need to enforce your boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.

3 Practice habits

The third step to prioritizing self-care is to practice habits that support your physical, mental, and emotional health. These habits may include eating well, sleeping enough, exercising regularly, meditating, relaxing, or engaging in hobbies or passions. These habits can help you cope with stress, boost your mood, enhance your creativity, and improve your quality of life. To practice habits, you need to schedule them in your calendar, make them part of your routine, track your progress, and reward yourself for your efforts.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?