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The Importance Of Self-Care In Managing Your Career

To those of you working corporate jobs with career ambitions to sit in the C-suite, to those that show up to work just to squirrel away enough money for your next vacation, your ability to practice self-care should not be dependent on the type of job you have or your career track. Practicing self-care is equally as important to everyone.

No โ€œone size fits all approachโ€

First off, how do you define self-care? If you asked 10 people that question, I bet you would get different answers. Thatโ€™s because self-care needs to be defined by you and there is no โ€œone size fits allโ€ approach. I define self-care as any activity that helps recharge you and declutter your brain so that when youโ€™re at work, you can focus on your work.

Evolve your definition of self-care

Depending on your career stage or season of your life, your definition of self-care may need to evolve. Self-care doesnโ€™t have to be defined as a lavish once-a-year event, like a full day at the spa (though that sounds lovely!). For me, Iโ€™m in a season of mothering two young kids while working full-time as a product marketing manager at a high-tech company. Self-care during the week can look like retreating to our bedroom for 10 minutes after family dinner where I can have some quiet time, or watching a TV show with my husband after the kids are asleep. Previously when I had more time and financial resources to spend on myself, self-care during the week was defined as spending two hours at a post-work happy hour.

Donโ€™t sacrifice self-care

Since I now have mandatory after-work commitments, I can no longer stay late in the office. And though I can open my laptop in the evenings to continue working when I get home, I donโ€™t because part of taking care of myself is spending time with my family in the evenings. Has this impacted my career in any way? Nope. Now, Iโ€™m able to better manage how I spend my time at work, focusing first on what will drive the most business impact, delegating where I can, and not doing the โ€œbusywork.โ€ So, though Iโ€™m working less total hours, Iโ€™m smarter about what I work on and focus on the results.

Give yourself permissionโ€ฆand just do it!

Without taking care of yourself, you canโ€™t show up to work and be your best self. It has to be your priority, and not someone elseโ€™s. Donโ€™t wait until your partner, friend, manager, parent, whomever tells you that you need to take a break, or makes time for you to do so. You have to give yourself permission to practice self-care, and the key word is you.

 

About Jenny Kordell

Jenny Kordell is a product marketing manager at a high-tech company, mother of two kids two and under, and ย celebrating 11 years of marriage to her husband, who is an entrepreneur. She loves meeting new people and canโ€™t wait to connect with you on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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