When It Actually IS About You: How to Prioritize Self-Care
How do we prioritize self-care when we’ve got a busy wine life?
This was one of the questions raised last week during the webinar that Beck and I co-led for Women of the Vine and Spirits, on the subject of healthful tips for 2019. Another question during the webinar was about wellness practices and their impact on our professional success; that’s a topic I addressed elsewhere earlier this week, and I hope you’ll click over for more details.
But can we get back to self-care? Because it’s a thing that, as we can all attest, way too often gets pushed far down the to-do list, in lieu of work things and family things and just about everything but self-things.
So here’s my question for you this week.
What would happen if we put self-care first, rather than last or next to last?
What would our days look like, if we took care of ourselves before we took care of anyone (or anything) else?
It’s a serious question, and “I couldn’t possibly do that” is not an acceptable answer.
Just imagine for a moment how your day would go. Notice how many opportunities there are for self-care, and imagine if you did even a few of them every day.
Here are a few opportunities that come to mind.
You’d wake up feeling refreshed, energized and enthusiastic for the day. This is possible because you went to bed at a reasonable hour (self-care), rather than staying up late doing emails or housework or binge-watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, fabulous as it is.
You prioritize your health (self-care) by choosing nutritious food that you actually like to eat (self-care) and you ate it peacefully while sitting down (self-care).
Expectations of you at work are reasonable and time-managed (self-care), and you’ve actively learned how to navigate domineering managers (self-care) and process negative feedback (self-care).
And we’re barely at mid-morning.
So how is this sounding to you so far?
Are you thinking, “Yeah, right”…? Or maybe, “But I have a family! And things are hectic in the morning, with no chance of nutritious food or peaceful eating in sight.” Or even, “Have you met my boss? Navigating around her would be like navigating the Titanic around the iceberg.”
If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’re probably right. Self-care isn’t an option for you until you start to see it as an option.
Alternatively, as you read through the bullet points above, you might have been thinking, “Hmm.” Or maybe, “I didn’t really see breakfast as self-care but I guess it could be.” Or even, “I remember seeing the workshop that HR posted about responding to negative encounters at the office. Maybe there’s still a chance to sign up.”
If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’re probably right too.
There’s actually a whole gamut of ways that we could activate self-care in our daily lives, and there are just as many ways that we could prioritize it.
It’s a different mix for each of us but the point is that it’s possible, especially when we shift our mindset around canned responses or expected behaviors.
Find the cracks in those.
It’s where the light of self-care gets in.
What comes into view, when you imagine putting self-care first? We’d love to hear.
Namaste,
Cathy
Meet The Tribe:
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Jessyca Lewis
University Professor and Wine Educator, Oregon (USA)
Years In Industry:
Five. In 2014 I started taking University students to classes in Siena, Italy for wine marketing and social media marketing classes. It went from 15 students to 144 students, and we ended up working with 15 Italian wineries. I am currently working on international speaking, consulting, teaching and wine tours.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
I am a an international traveler and business person, and sleeping, exercising, and eating well in foreign countries can be challenging. Solutions for me are grounding yourself quickly, use ear plugs, and finding places for good food, dance and exercise.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
I exercise five days per week, and I dance, have acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, attend Weight Watchers, cook great foods, and spend time with my family. When I am traveling I exercise, find healthy foods and maintain my spiritual practices.
Find Jessyca online on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
What We’re Reading:
There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.
Why Everything But Alcohol is Now the Biggest Threat to Wine, by Richard Siddle for Grapevine
Dry January “is not just postponing drinking until our second monthly gym membership goes out of our account. No, people are looking to stop drinking full stop.”
5 Ways to Use Mindfulness for More Professional Success, by Cathy Huyghe for Inc.com
Here's how to bring your wellness practices "off the mat" and into more productive, more successful workdays.
Let's Meet Up!
As work life has it, we are traveling over the next few months and would love to see you. Check out details on the Let's Meet Up! page.
· Guest Lecturer at INSEEC in Bordeaux, Jan. 21 – 26 (Cathy)
· Judge at TEXSOM International Wine Awards in Dallas, Feb 18 to 20 (Cathy)
· Presenter at the British Columbia Wine Insight Conference , March 12 (Cathy)
· Presenter at the International Institute for Analytics conference in Portland , March 13 (Cathy)
· Attendee at ProWein in Düsseldorf, March 17 to 19 (Cathy)
· Attendees at Vinitaly in Verona, April 7 – 10 (Rebecca and Cathy)
· Attendee at MUST: Fermenting Ideas in Cascais, Portugal, June 26 to 28 (Cathy)
Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.
