THE ULTIMATE
BALANCING ACT
Discovering Self-Care to Sustain
Motivation, Performance and
Energy
Fall Training 2012
What is Self-Care and Why is it Important?
Stress is NO BUENO!
Traditional Approach to Self-Care
• Physical
• Mental & emotional
• Moving your body
• Expressing emotions appropriately
• Maintaining healthy diet
• Knowing your emotional tendencies
• Going to the doctor when you need to
• Learning from Mistakes
• Getting sleep…
• Spiritual
• Taking time to reflect
• Spending time in silence
• Exploration of yourself that helps you
to identity your values and priorities.
From a “Strengths” Perspective – Wellbeing
• "Contrary to what many people believe, wellbeing isn't just about
being happy. Nor is it only about being wealthy or successful. And
it's certainly not limited to physical health and wellness. In fact,
focusing on any of these elements in isolation could drive us to
feelings of frustration and even failure."
• Gallup’s comprehensive study of people in more than 150 countries
revealed five universal, connected elements that shape our lives:
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•
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Career Wellbeing
Social Wellbeing
Financial Wellbeing
Physical Wellbeing
Community Wellbeing
Wellbeing
• Career
• How you occupy your time or simply liking what you do everyday
• Social
• Having strong relationships and love in your life
• Financial
• Effectively managing your economic life
• Physical
• Having good health and energy to get things done on a daily basis
• Community
• Sense of engagement you have with the area where you live
Career Elements
• Do you LIKE what you do?
• Using your STRENGTHS every day can avoid burnout
• “Waiting for the bell to ring” – are you engaged at work?
• Enjoying weekDAYS as much as weekENDS – your work is closely
aligned with person you are
• Being disengaged at work can lead to depression
Social Elements
• We have stock in other’s wellbeing
• Every hour of social time keeps stress away
• Without a friend, work can be a lonely place
• Don’t expect one friend to do it all
• Three recommendations:
• Socialize 6 hours a day: This doesn’t always mean “on-the-clock”
• Strengthen the mutual connections in your network
• Mix social time with physical activity
A Quick Note About VITAL FRIENDS
• People who have a “best friend” at work are 7 times more likely to
be engaged in their job
• What’s common to all truly essential friendships: a regular focus on
what each person is contributing
• Definition of VITAL FRIEND
• Someone who measurably improves your life
• A person at work or in your personal life who you can’t afford to live
without
• Objective Questions to ask yourself
• If this person were no longer around, would your overall satisfaction with
life decrease?
• If this person were no longer a part of your life, would your achievement or
engagement at work decrease?
Financial Elements
• Do you need money to be happy?
• Turning to retail therapy causes us to make bad decisions
• Three Recommendations:
• Buy EXPERIENCES
• Spend on others instead of solely material possessions
• Establish default systems (automated payments and savings)
Physical Elements
• With every bite and drink we take, we make a choice
• Net positive – increases energy
• Net negative – decreases energy
• To make major lifestyle decisions, we need to understand how a
poor diet or sedentary lifestyle affects us TODAY
• Three recommendations:
• 20 minutes of physical activity each day will improve your mood
• Sleep enough to feel well rested (7-8 hours). Consistent sleep is important
• Set positive defaults when you shop – choose red, green, blue foods 
Community Elements
• Do you have a basic sense of security?
• Living in an area that’s a good fit for your personality, family,
interests, and other pursuits
• Three recommendations:
• Identify how you can contribute to your community based on your
personal mission
• Tell people about your passions so they can connect you with relevant
groups/causes
• Opt in to a community group or event
Any Self-Care Masters Out There??
Remember selfcare should result
in feeling
refreshed,
motivated and
Creating a Plan…
• Write Down your Top 5 Strengths:
• Identify the strengths that provide you the most motivation,
energy and/or inspiration
• Think of activities or things you’ve done to gain
motivation, energy in the past that you utilized at
least one of your strengths
“In a group of 3-4 share how you used your strengths in the
past for self-care (even if it was without knowing it ) and then as a group
brainstorm additional ways that each person could practice self-care
to support each area of their Well-Being”
Well-Being Worksheet
CAREER
SOCIAL
FINANCIAL
PHYSICAL
COMMUNITY
NETWORK