"It's the most wonderful stressful time of the year…."
All jokes aside, we're certainly feeling the end-of-year stress here at PowerToFly, and we're sure many of you are in the same boat: scrambling to wrap up professional tasks, make socially distanced holiday plans, and keep your personal life afloat all at the same time.
It's not easy juggling so many priorities and 2020 has only made it more difficult.
So, as we wrap up what has been an extremely trying year, we're excited to share a few self-care tips from Cherry Mangat, Wellness Lead at global legal and compliance tech company Relativity. As Cherry says, before we can take care of our communities, "it is vital that we take care of ourselves."
A product manager for most of her career, Cherry learned about mindfulness a few years ago and has since become a passionate mental health advocate. Relativity encouraged and empowered her to launch and lead a company-wide wellness program.
As Cherry explains, "Mindfulness is about keeping your awareness in the present moment. Many of us tend to ruminate in the past or worry about the future. And it's all about coming back to the present moment." A self-professed "control freak," Cherry admits that she's found staying in the present challenging, but the benefits are clear, and she's working on a whole host of initiatives to help her fellow Relativians pursue better physical, mental, and emotional health.
Check out the video below to learn more about how she pivoted careers, and read on for the three things Cherry believes everyone needs in order to practice self-care and stay well:
1. An Unshakeable Foundation
When Cherry talks about an unshakeable foundation, she's referring to the things in life that give you a sense of stability. It may be work, family, spirituality, a hobby, or something else altogether.
But the key is thinking of what anchors you specifically. It will be different for everyone, but these are the things that no matter where you are or what you're doing, you turn to when you feel overwhelmed.
When you start to feel stressed, Cherry recommends pausing and thinking about your foundation: "Keep that foundation front and center…Maybe incorporate it into a daily ritual so that it's ingrained in your mind even more."
2. An Evolved Support System
This goes hand-in-hand with your foundation.
As Cherry says, "Take inventory of, and frequently turn to, your support system. Pre-pandemic, this network may have been different—made up of people you frequently spent time with in-person. Now, it may look different based on the circumstances of your living situation."
Identify who is a part of your support system and, Cherry says, ask yourself how you are connecting with them in meaningful ways. The ways in which you connect will almost certainly look different, but the key is that you find ways to connect that best energize you. Maybe you love Zoom hangouts, or perhaps you're more partial to phone calls or socially distanced walks. Identify what—and who—fills your cup and focus your time on those activities and people.
3. A Daily Act of Self-Compassion
Last but not least, Cherry recommends building an act of self-compassion into your daily routine. "Every morning at 8:00 a.m., a notification appears on my phone to remind me to practice self-compassion. I take 30 seconds to pause, reflect on how I'm feeling, and to think about what I need in order to have a good day. It allows me to have more awareness of my own state, rather than charging into the day on autopilot."
Starting your day off with this time to reflect can be the difference between scrambling all day long and feeling focused and engaged.
This doesn't mean, however, that you need to be "on" every single day, Cherry notes. "Every day is unique and we need different things at different times to help us through. One day, it may binge watching a favorite TV show. Another day, it may be a socially distanced visit with family. Let that flow be okay, don't judge yourself, and don't expect that every day has to look the same. We must give that kindness and compassion to ourselves first before we can extend it to others."
Interested in learning more? Check out the rest of Cherry's advice in her original blog post here. And if you're looking for a company where you can put your well-being first, check out Relativity's open roles here.
