Things I Swear By To Be At Your ‘Best’ When Life Gets A Lot
When you have developed your career over many years and hold a senior level role, the responsibility and potential stress that can come with that needs managing. You might be a busy parent, be planning a life event like a house move/rennovation or a weddding. You might be training for an exciting event like a marathon. When you have a lot on it really is important to start with looking after yourself.
Here are things I swear by as someone who has experience navigating a leadership role in a very fast paced environment whilst trying to live a ‘balanced’ life outside of work (appreciate we all have different circumstances so these are things that are possible and work for me):
Sleep - I love my sleep and I truly believe the expression ‘everything looks better after a good night’s sleep’ so making sure I get as close to 8 hours is really important to me. I try to go to bed early (9.30pm these days!) and I love to wake up just before my alarm feeling refreshed. I know I perform at my best when I am rested and recharged.
Exercise - Movement is so important. I think there’s nothing better than hopping on a spin bike after a tricky day at work (that’s me pictured at Psycle, my favourite studio in London). It’s dark, the tunes are loud and usually uplifting and you can get a great sweat on. It really feels like you work things through in your mind on the bike and once you’re done you usually feel so much better about whatever it was. Running or walking also has the same impact but with my knees the bike is my preferred!
Getting outside - Finding time for some fresh air in the day really makes a difference. Sometimes a quick lap around the block between meetings or running out to get a coffee instead of going to the kitchen can really help clear your head and feel like a small break.
Time with loved ones/ friends - Nothing like some quality time with your nearest and dearest to fill your cup up.
Time away - There’s something about going away for the weekend & having a change of scenery, be that a staycay or going abroad, that just helps you to disconnect from the day to day and reconnect with yourself. Especially if you’ve gone somewhere nice and can enjoy some good food, company and scenery. When you come back you feel ready to ‘go again’!
Cull the diary - Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve and what you want to do. Only go to things that will give you energy, not drain it. No one is going to protect your time but you.
Plan in prep time - when your diary looks mental it’s important to factor in some time to prep for it. This could be a sunday evening reset where you do some cooking for meals, iron your clothes or do some life admin to clear the decks for the week ahead.
Goals or challenges - I always like to have a big challenge to work towards each year. For me it’s usually physical as that gives me such a great sense of achievement. Last year I cycled from London to Brighton and this year I’m going that step further and going London to Paris. It forces me to be strict with priorities, the training doubles up as exercise and time with my friend and I feel great once I’ve done it. win win!
Acupuncture - Can’t explain it but helps me keep my coughs and colds at bay, deal with any aches or niggles and just have a relaxing hour. If you feel a bit run down or tense it’s definitely worth a try.
Factor in the fun - Think about what you can add in to your life in the weeks/months ahead just for a bit of fun - dance class, rave, fancy meal - don’t forget the fun!
What would you add to this?