Hands up if the year’s end is feeling festive yet?
Perhaps the reality feels more like fatigue?
When fatigued we can start to ‘go through the motions’, aiming to get our work and life tasks done and “off the list”.
But when we let Joy slip out of the equation our tasks can feel even more effortful, creating a more draining cycle.
This seems to be a common experience at year’s end and is reminding us of the importance of upholding self-care practices. However, prioritising self-care now calls for renewed commitment and choice, daily!
Depending on the tools you have in your self-care and resilience toolkit, you will need to keep on choosing those routines before and after starting and/or finishing your work for the day, and even during your daily work. This commitment to yourself can feel counter-intuitive when a sense of outer busy-ness and urgency seems to be ramping up. However, the benefits will reward both you, your purpose and your relationships.
A key benefit of regular self-care at this time of the year is being able to regenerate your energy level and keep some joy alive in both your work and in life!
Have you noticed how even a glimmer of joy right now can have a wonderful ripple effect through your family, business, projects, and teams – helping people around you to hang on to their sense of purpose right through December?
Seems to me that upholding self-care at this time of the year creates some authentic festivity – festivity from the inside out!
And that becomes a gift worth sharing.
Cherie Rowett
Acknowledging Paola Galiamberti for the image via Unsplash – love it!