These days everyone knows that “self-care” is something that can help us ease stress and be happier people. While many of us are now able to leave guilt behind when they treat themselves, there are some that still feel like they can’t drop the productivity ball long enough to take a bubble bath.
However, what if those self-care moments could lead to your dream job? Then you would be doing double-duty by getting ahead and becoming a less-stressed, more focused individual!
Below we discuss three ways self-care can lead to your dream job!
Fitness
Many studies have proven that engaging in regular physical activity can alleviate stress. However, not many people talk about how stress and physical discomfort can negatively impact your job performance, not to mention your stamina.
After putting a full work day in, it can be almost impossible to come home and think about searching for that perfect job you are yearning for, or even think about how you will get your next promotion at your current company.
While it may feel counterintuitive, making regular exercise a part of your daily routine will actually help you find more time in your day to pursue your professional goals.
Yoga is a great practice to incorporate into your fitness arsenal because it is low-impact and easily accessible. Yoga also works on your mind’s health while your body benefits. If you live in the Texas cities of Austin, Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio you can check out Black Swan Yoga, a highly recommended donation-based yoga studio.
Journaling
Up next in the “self-care” suggestion list is the practice of journaling. According to Intermountainhealthcare.org:
“Journaling is an incredible stress management tool, a good-for-you habit that lessens the impact of physical stressors on your health. In fact, a study (Scientific American) showed that expressive writing (like journaling) for only 15 to 20 minutes a day […] was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver functionality”
Those are powerful claims! Our health is the number one factor in whether or not we will pursue our goals, and something so simple as putting pen to paper for 15 min a day could help ensure we are in the right condition to succeed. If you are looking for journals that inspire you to write, you can visit Archer & Olive, an Austin, Texas-based journal company.
Mindfulness
Meditation has gone from existing on the societal fringe to becoming a mainstream staple in self-care. The main goal in meditation is to create space in your mind and your life. We tend to go from one activity to the next without much thought and then before we know it the day is done and we are in bed thinking about all the the things we didn’t get to do (or even worse, thinking about all the things we DID but wish he had done differently).
Spending 10min a day in silence, focusing on the breath, trains our mind to slow down and gives us an opportunity to focus on what we CHOOSE to focus on. One of the early epithanies of meditation is realizing that we aren’t choosing our thoughts, they are choosing and controlling us. A great app on your Iphone or Android to get started with is the Waking Up App by Sam Harris.
If you are searching for your perfect job or that next promotion, meditation can help you laser focus on the steps you need to take to make your dream a reality.
While it is always overwhelming to start a new practice, whether it’s in fitness, journaling, or meditation, once you get going it makes the rest of your life a bit easier. It’s all about trusting the process and letting it lead you to your professional and personal goals!
