Self-care can be defined as anything that will promote well-being and has the potential to recharge your energy levels. Hobbies, meditation, a day at the spa or even engaging in a creative activity can make you feel refreshed and renewed emotionally.

This is a week where we add balance to your work life with self-care, especially if you are a Type A personality. Self-care can be defined as anything that will promote well-being and has the potential to recharge your energy levels. Hobbies, meditation, a day at the spa or even engaging in a creative activity can make you feel refreshed and renewed emotionally. The benefits also apply to those raising children, caring for aging parents and anyone who has steady responsibilities. When work responsibilities add up, whether at a physical, virtual or home office, it can be difficult to take a break to truly refresh oneself.

What generally happens is life gets increasingly busy and we get used to working long hours and we don’t take time to charge our personal batteries. It may take awhile, but if we keep ignoring self-care, it won’t take long until we’re literally out of gas and can’t go any further. There are physical and mental consequences that can be harmful and even debilitating. Brain fog, exhaustion, mood swings and even health issues could be the result. Your assignment is to schedule at least one mini-vacation per week for the next 10 weeks. By “mini vacation,” I mean to take at least 10-15 minutes to do something totally different than your normal responsibilities. This is not a lot of time, but it can make a huge difference! Of course, if you are pursuing a new hobby, this won’t be nearly enough time. But it will be enough time to get started, give you a mental break, and you can then build from there. Ideas range from taking a brief walk in the park, going to a quiet secluded place to close your eyes and be quiet or do what I love to do when working at my home office. Grab a pair of clippers and trim on some roses or bushes outside. It’s a total diversion and doesn’t take long!