The importance of self-care

“Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with what a lot of women and girls struggle with: putting everyone before yourself,” Tiara Richardson says as we sit down to discuss the topic of self-care. “I had to learn through a series of events that it’s okay to put myself first and take care of myself.”

Following multiple episodes of burnout and panic attacks, Tiara realized that filling one’s own cup is the only way to show up fully in one’s relationships, personal projects, and career. She’s not just talking cucumber slice-covered eyes or long soaks in a candle-lit bath. Amid the chaos of her growing career, Tiara grew to understand her own boundaries to find personal and professional balance.

Now a senior content designer at Zapier, the leader in no-code automation, Tiara fills her evenings with lots of laughter, long sits on her porch, and design projects. We asked her to share more about how self-care has transformed her experience in the workplace — and how you can find workplace well-being, too.

The road that led to burnout

Tiara describes herself as a highly motivated achiever. However, this go-getter personality emerged as a double-edged sword.

“I was always in a bunch of different activities when I was in school. And then in my career, I just kept that same momentum. And I never stopped.”

While building her career in UX and content design, Tiara went back to school for both her bachelor’s degree and a code immersion bootcamp — all while keeping up an active social schedule. She rarely took vacations outside of the occasional long weekend trip.

“When my burnout first showed up, I didn’t really know what was happening. I was in my early 20s and I was having panic attacks, but I didn’t know what it was at the time,” Tiara explains. “There were several times when my coworkers had to call the ambulance when I was at work. That’s when I really started to understand more about anxiety, panic disorder, and how the stress in your life can physically manifest.”

These habits continued for years, even as Tiara moved from the fast-paced lifestyle in New York City down to North Carolina. After reaching the point of complete mental and physical exhaustion, she recognized that something needed to change — and sat down with a therapist.

Law of attraction

“I found a therapist I clicked with and who really understood me. She could see the signs of what I was going through,” Tiara shares. “At the time, I really didn’t know much about self-care and hadn’t even heard the term. She helped me to see that I was not only giving more than I needed to in my career, but also in my personal life.”

Alongside her therapist, Tiara learned to recognize her own boundaries and became comfortable with the word “no.” Instead of staying logged on to her computer through the night, she turned to healthier habits like meditation, yoga, and coloring.

And, like the law of attraction, Tiara eventually heard from a recruiter at Zapier.

“I was very intentional about the type of job I wanted to find because I was tired of some of the more strict company cultures that don’t value your well-being,” she says. “Once I went through the interviews at Zapier, it really just solidified that this is a great place to work. It’s their culture. It’s how they support people, their flexibility with working remotely, and understanding that life happens. It’s how they encourage you to take vacation, have unlimited PTO, and offer a budget just for wellness.”

3 strategies for workplace well-being

Achieving well-being at work is a constant balancing act, and Tiara admits that she, too, has to hit the reset button from time to time. She shares with us her top three strategies for proactively avoiding burnout and keeping her cup full:

1. Block time off on your calendar. “This gives me focus time throughout the day instead of having to jump from meeting to meeting. And at Zapier, people are respectful of that.”
2. Get outside. “I make it a point to get outside several times a day. Even if it’s just to walk my dog or sit on the porch, I find that being out in nature and breathing fresh air reenergizes me.”
3. Don’t forget to laugh. “I’m big into having fun and laughing with friends and family. So even at the end of the workday, I like to make sure I’m laughing as much as I can. It truly makes me feel better.”

If you’re facing a period of burnout yourself, Tiara leaves you with some final words of encouragement:

“It is okay to say ‘no.’ It’s okay to set boundaries and stick to them. Boundaries tell people how to treat you and it allows you to put boxes around your time and your energy. It says what you’re willing to accept, not accept, and where you want to dedicate your energy. It’s simple: don’t be afraid to say ‘no.’”