“You can’t love another person until you love yourself.” It is one of the most common ‘words of wisdom.’ And expressed more broadly it means “You can’t help another person unless you help yourself first.”

Professionals in the Public Sector are especially committed to caring for others. They include employees in our nonprofit sector, government agencies, elected offices, law enforcement, hospital workers, and school teachers. Public Sector Professionals do some of the most important work in the world. With fierce commitment, love and care they weave together the fabric of our communities, define the values of our society and impact the lives of the generations that follow.

But those of us who serve the needs of the public are also notorious for hurting ourselves in the process. We ignore our own health; we overwork, we never rest, and we don’t stop to nourish ourselves, or each other.

Caring for ourselves is the first act of kindness that we must do in our long line of daily life-giving acts. Luckily caring for ourselves is a simple formula made up of five fundamental and interconnected activities that are within our reach.

Proper movement
Proper rest
Proper nourishment
Positive mindset
Proper breathing

Said in another way:

MOVE

REST

EAT WELL

THINK POSITIVELY

BREATHE CONSCIOUSLY

It starts and ends with us. When we are well resourced, we can better help others. We have more energy and we feel stronger. When we are nourished we think more creatively to solve problems and create opportunities, for ourselves and for our stakeholders.

What might caring for ourselves look like in the heat of a typically busy day? Here is the beginning of my list I call “100 Choices a Day.”

Choosing to take a break, instead of working nonstop
Choosing to eat, instead of skipping a meal
Choosing a healthy meal, instead of eating an unhealthy meal
Choosing to eat until you are nourished, instead of eating until we are too full
Choosing to drink water instead of soda
Choosing to nourish your body with a few deep breaths, instead of not
Choosing to take a 15 minute walk, instead of sitting at our desk all day long
Choosing to stretch our body and breath deeply, instead of ignoring our body stiffness
Choosing to stop work at a moderate time
Choosing to leave work at work, instead of bringing work home
Choosing to communicate when we have too much work to realistically do
Choosing to ask for help when we are challenged and struggling at work
Choosing to ask for help when we are challenged and struggling at home
Choosing to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts
Choosing to acknowledge ourself when you have done a good job
Choosing to give ourself self compassion when things are hard
Choosing to go to bed early
Choosing to wake up early to have our own quiet time
Choosing to write our thoughts on paper so you can get some distance from them and see more clearly
Choosing to go to a movie, read a book, have a quiet cup of tea, sit in a park, visit a old friend, instead of being “productive” all day long
Choosing to say “I’ve done enough, I need to rest,” instead of not knowing what your “enough” is
Choosing to say “I love you” to ourself
What else can we choose?………
What other choices might we have during our day that are acts of self care? We are faced with 100 “choices a day.” Go right. Or go left. Our self care is a web of choices that we recommit to every day, day in and day out.
Join me in a renewed committed to care for ourselves first, to create strength so we can care for others! Add to this list! Let’s create 100 Choices !