If you want to be effective in either your personal or professional life, take a look at how you manage your self- care.

Most of us lead busy lives and experience the pressure of responsibilities encroaching on every hour of our day. As a result, we often adopt the mindset that “with so much to do, something has to go”. For many, it is self-care that loses the battle.

What is self-care? It is essentially the conscious effort put forth to actively and purposely do something that energizes you. Self-care means you are making yourself a priority and treating yourself like you have value. Attending to your self-care will likely increase your resilience and give you a position of personal power regardless of the challenges you are facing.

Women often neglect self-care as they develop the habit of nurturing others. The needs of children, spouse and parents seem to, in their mind, be more immediate. They may willingly forego sleep or personal activities in order to serve the needs of others.

There are many ways to enhance your self-care. It can be as simple as getting enough rest/sleep, eating a balanced meal or creating personal time for a favorite activity. Maintaining healthy relationships through clear communication, respect and balanced responsibilities can help improve how you view yourself.

Getting back into a hobby can be wonderful for self-care. Creating art, woodworking, scrapbooking, knitting etc, will make you feel happier. That is because doing things with your hands triggers a pleasure reaction and a feel-good state in your brain. Once involved in a hobby, people lose track of time and purely enjoy the process and the moment. Hobbies induce a state of relaxation called “flow”, even when acquiring new skills or problem solving.

Include a dose of self-care in your daily routine and you are likely to notice an improvement to your overall well being and your effectiveness.