Survive and Thrive? Not without Self-Care!

When I started the Survival and Thrival CEO Forums back in March, I threw myself fully into the “LET’S GO!” mentality. I’ve been working late nights, most weekends, and until recently, I hadn’t taken much time to myself – and that was a huge problem. As I’ve written before, stress is a known CEO-killer, but as COVID numbers climb, society is in upheaval, and the demands of my business and family grow, stress has become an unwelcome long-term guest in my life again.

Like most people right now, I need to practice self-care. Wednesday, I visited with personal trainer and founder of KICHGO, Kit Rich, who told me “You can’t teach anything you don’t know yourself.” If I want my team to de-stress, I’ve got to learn to do it myself! Luckily, experts like Kit are here with lessons to share! Stress and anxiety affect us mentally and emotionally. But they also affect us physically. It’s extremely important to take care of yourself now – that’s the first step to long-term health.

A recent HBR article backs up the need to take some time for yourself: “Start with self-care. We can’t share with others a resource that we lack ourselves.” Create a routine that includes scheduled moments for yourself – maybe it’s a short “unplugged” walk, a ten-minute fetch session with the dog, or putting a few pieces into a jigsaw puzzle. It doesn’t have to be an hour of yoga or CrossFit every day or watching an entire movie – find small moments to enjoy.

One of the best ways to manage stress is to acknowledge it. If you pay attention to what is causing you stress, you can begin to dissect those roots and understand them. I’ll let Kit have the last word here: “Stress challenges you to be better; to rise to the occasion.” Check out our full conversation below. It’s well worth your time!