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A career in marketing can be fulfilling but also stressful – even in the best of times. So self-care is important, and here are my top 10 self-care tips.
1. Understand yourself
Like many things in life, it starts with understanding the situation – in this case, that’s you! What needs do you have, what’s relaxing, and what activities can relief stress? For myself, I know that, at times, I need some quiet time; I strive on true collaboration and creativity and love to go to the gym.
Read next: How to achieve work-life balance
2. Prioritize your needs and boundaries
Certainly, this can be a balancing act. If you are a parent, the family has certain needs, and the job does, too. And then there are the basics that just need to get done. Mowing the lawn, making food, cleaning up – though my robot vacuum cleaner has taken some of that work off my plate. But the list can go on.
So it’s important to determine what is necessary for your self-care, how to focus on those needs in the right amount of time, and then set those boundaries.
For example, if you go to the gym, on a walk, or something similar, maybe the rule needs to be that there’s no texting or any other distractions that technology enables. Consider using the “do not disturb” function on your iPhone and share the status with key contacts so they can see you are on DND if they are looking to message you.
There’s also a host of apps available that you can consider trying to see what works and what doesn’t work for you to control technology interruptions.
3. Learn to say “no” when necessary
Many people want to be helpful, which can lead to saying “yes” to everything. Can you help me with this? Yes. How about adding that to your plate? Yes, sure. Can you stay late today and miss that important family event? Yes.
At some point, we have to say no. There’s only so much time in the day, and we can’t do everything. And we can’t do everything successfully.
4. Be present
Being present is harder than it sounds nowadays and is tied to setting boundaries even. In a meeting, put the phone down. When working from home, don’t look at the incoming messages. Sitting on the couch, playing on your phone, put it down when your spouse or kids are talking to you. And while people have always checked out of the present situation – even before technology – it’s become easier than ever to completely check out by burying our heads into our phones.
Being all over the place can also affect our well-being, so being focused can help feeling better about what we are doing. The same is true when it comes to relaxing moments. Sit on your outside furniture, enjoy the moment, and perhaps disconnect for a bit.
5. Exercise
Exercise comes in many different forms. Going on a walk is exercise. You can even get recommendations now with this Under Armour app to find new routes.
I personally like going to the gym and lifting. I use the Shred app to give me workout ideas and even do the yoga circuits.
6. Find a hobby
Going to the gym could be considered a hobby, and so could going on hikes. You might also consider following a sports team. I, for once, enjoy watching my favorite teams on TV, and every once in a while, I enjoy a game in the stadium.
7. Read a book
There certainly are plenty of self-care books available to read. Thousands, according to Amazon. Those books might help you understand additional self-care tips. If you don’t want to read a self-care book, consider one for entertainment purposes. So no business books related to work. Maybe there’s a niche you enjoy. Freida McFadden has been one of my favorite authors lately.
8. Surround yourself with the right people
Self-care also comes back to being around the people that help you live a full life. In “Is marketing a good career?,” I discuss the topic of finding the right team and culture and the importance of it.
9. Tune out the noise
Sometimes we may just want to tune out the noise. Whether that’s at home, in a hotel lobby, or in an open office environment. Put in or on those headphones and listen to the music that can help you get on the right track mentally.
10. Self-care apps
There are plenty of self-care apps you can look at, including the Blobs app, which says it keeps an eye on mood swings. Something to consider as you are considering the options. Apps include:
- Diary apps
- Habit tracker
- Time management
- Meditation
- And many more…
Audible also offers meditation programs.
Self-care final thoughts
How exactly each person takes care of their own well-being certainly can depend, but one thing is clear: To be successful and happy, practicing some form of self-care is essential.