Self-Care: Essential When Facing Changes at Work by Amy C. Waninger, Lead at Any Level Why Self-Care Matters: The Physical Impacts of Stress T he Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory ranks 43 life events that can cause stress. The word “change” itself appears 14 times. Nine are work-related. Even changes we might regard as positive, such as getting a promotion, can cause a lot of stress. Stressors accumulate. They wreak havoc on our bodies, with potential impacts on every major system. We exacerbate these problems by paying more attention to our stressors than to our own physical needs. Sleep patterns change. We are less likely to eat healthy foods and exercise. If we don’t take care of our bodies, our brain is not equipped to function during the day. Have you ever been on a big project, working really hard, going through crunch time, everything coming at you, and you’re really super busy? What happened at the end of that really super busy time? You probably got sick. Your body had had enough, and it let you know it! 5 Self-Care Essentials After the birth of my third child in 2015, my doctor insisted I attend a support group with other women experiencing postpartum depression. The facilitator asked each of us about self-care every single week. Each one of us. Every week. I’ll be honest, I got annoyed by the repetition. Each one of us. Every week. You get the picture. What follows is everything I learned from the group. Only I won’t make you go through pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the experience of locking yourself in your closet to cry for hours at a time. You’re welcome! Morning Routine Get a little bit of sunshine every day. When you get up in the morning, get to a window, and just let the sunlight hit you. Sunlight tells your brain to WAKE UP! Full disclosure: I also use cup of coffee for that purpose. My brain is probably not as thrilled with me about that, but it does get the job done occasionally. Eat Make sure you’re eating. Some people, apparently, forget to eat during times of stress. Personally, I cannot relate. If you are not eating, your body cannot renew www.ogr.org | The Independent® 43
44 Publizr Home