WHO CARES?

You know what the great thing about the collective consciousness of today is?

The mantra of self-care is everywhere. Splashed across social media and magazines, overheard in conversations between friends at the beach, on the street and in yoga classes.

And even promoted at the more progressive workplaces.

It seems as a society we are finally starting to recognise that burnout is a real thing and that self-care is the missile which can head it off at the pass.

So then… how exactly do we define self-care?

Well, that my friends (unlike most things in life), is entirely up to you.

Some Friday night self-care for me is sharing some Shiraz on the couch with my housemates and the Great Dane named ZuZu (we don’t give ZuZu any, don’t worry).

Other times, it is getting up for a morning run because I know the positive effect exercise has on my mood and mental health.

The important thing is to figure out what works for you and prioritise it. Have a huge deadline looming? Whether it’s tackling the report that was supposed to be on the boss’s desk yesterday or whether you have 100 party bags to pack, label and decorate before the kindergarten fete on Saturday, stress management is just as important as time management to hit these deadlines.

Remember that you’re no good if you’re not good.

So, this October, I challenge you to take a piece of paper, write the five best self-care things for you and pop said piece of paper on the fridge.

Because self-care is something we should think about every day, not just when we’ve run ourselves into the ground.