Self-care for purposeful hustlers

These days, we hear the word “self-care” tossed around a lot. It’s used in so many different ways and has become a buzzword to sell products ranging from face masks to yoga classes.

It’s used so much that it can almost feel like another form of stress. We might get caught thinking, “I have so much going on already, and now I need to worry about self-care too!”

But whether we like it or not, taking good care of ourselves is essential. We need to be a friend to ourselves.

Especially as Purposeful Hustlers, in order to live into our purpose, we need to be able to be the best versions of ourselves. We need to know what we need to stay healthy, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Our wellbeing is SO IMPORTANT.

I still like the tried and true metaphor: If our glass isn’t full, how in the world are we going to be able to pour out into others and into our work?

In its best form, self-care doesn’t feel like an extra thing we need to do, but it involves practices that we integrate into who we are. Self-care looks differently for all of us, but if you’re looking for ideas or inspiration for ways you can more intentionally take care of yourself, these are three things I do:

Love your people.

Valuing, prioritizing, and building in time for my relationships is so important to who I am as a person. My people are part of my care plan.

One way I do this is I use commute time to call friends and connect with those I love. Another example is, after my kids go to bed, I cherish the time I get to spend with my husband.

Unplug.

As we’re all too aware, we spend so much of our lives in front of screens.

I’ve learned that I need to set aside time to unplug in order to maintain my sanity. I will allocate days or hours in my schedule with no phone and no computer.

I NEED this time to recharge.

Self-care means recognizing what we need, listening to that, and honoring that. Setting aside technology periodically is one way I do that.

Celebrate small wins.

This work is HARD!

Staying committed to a lifestyle of Purposeful Hustle may be worthwhile, but that does NOT mean that it is easy.

Especially when working for social justice, victories can feel few and far between.

This can be psychologically and emotionally weathering. To keep going, I’ve learned that I need to celebrate the small wins.

This is something I practice daily. I dance in my office. I dance in my car. I warn every team member when I start to work with them, “I will dance!”

What are some creative ways that you’ve learned to take care of yourself? What practices make you feel like the best version of YOU? I’d love to hear them.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.