Part 2 … Otan's Personal Self Care Map

This is the 2nd of this 3-part series of articles.

Self care fortifies the aliveness of my personal ~ work life through these uncertain times. For me, it's required structure and discipline. When I’m on it I’m revitalized to flow through almost anything. But when I get stuck in the ongoing stress about something, I may slack off on self care when I’m actually needing the mental/emotional refresh to ease through something. It’s a 24/7 process.

Here’s Part 2 of My Self Care: personal life / work life / physical exercise / diet and nutrition / restful sleep.

1) My Personal Life involves relationships and activities that I simply enjoy and feel nourished by. Sounds like doing it would be a-piece-of-cake. Then why do I need to organize and factor it into my day and week? Or it gets pushed out of my day.

Because if left unchecked, the seeming demands of my business life would constantly infringe upon my personal time. This is one the issues my clients also engage the steps to resolve.

After all, what’s it all for? Being on-purpose, working effectively and accomplishing goals is central to life. But I am not a machine. I have cycles throughout the day and week when I am more focused and efficient. While I can push myself and sometimes do, I am much more effective when I schedule cycles of highly focused work which is complimented by my self care time to replenish.

I do this by being absorbed in personal activities and relationships I simply enjoy. I also find it useful these activities usually have nothing to do with my work life.

I’ve found it essential to actually schedule block-time in my calendar, for both personal time and for work time. This process relies on awareness about my priorities and balancing my commitments. I’ve learned that some things can be scheduled precisely, while many things will need a buffer of time because it will take more than I expected. I’ve learned to respect my personal time and the block-time that enables it.

How I use my personal time is very personal. I love to eat but would not plan to spend hours on my own or with my friends doing cooking activities. I love my horses and look forward to the time spent in cleaning the pastures or mending the fence line.

My personal time is personal and reflects my interests and needs. And I often share it with others.

Here’s a few activities I schedule so they are a part of my every day or week.

For decades I've enjoyed living remotely in nature. I schedule a few brief daily walks in nature. I’ll go slowly and muse about the natural environment as I wander along. While writing this, I realize this is one of the ways I step out of the noise. I enjoy and am refreshed by it, even doing just 10 to 20+ minutes daily. It’s like going though a soft mist or fog where everything slows down. When returning to work activities I am more clear and focused, more spontaneous and vitalized.

I regularly schedule Zoom time with family, and with friends who are family. We do this every week including in the middle of my workday. Being with and for each other is a powerful experience. I also experience this with work relationships but the agenda is more focused and often urgent.

During our family-friends time we’ve developed themes to our conversations and activities. And we regularly express how we highly value our time together.

Sunday is personal time for planned events, last minute spontaneous activity or some very easy rest and relaxation. Smiles!

2) My Work Life occupies much of my focus, time and activity. It is one of the ways I live my purpose.

I do my best to do what I love. This engages my full commitment, effectiveness and enjoyment.

Throughout the years I’ve experienced the challenge of personal/work life balance. Without forethought, I could get lost in trying to work beyond my priorities and efficiency.

And like all of us, I’ve faced cycles of unexpected events that for a time turned my life upside down. During those times I found it essential to keep alive the fire of my purpose inside me. (Next week we’ll look at my purpose in Part 3.) This provided the inspiration and strategy to emerge through the challenge into the next chapter of doing what I love.

Creating the conditions for optimal personal/work balance has required ongoing, honest evaluation of my personal and my work priorities. This This fundamental for organizing my commitments and schedule for efficiency and balance. I do my best to review and revise this monthly, quarterly and yearly.

As described above in personal time, I’ve found it essential to actually schedule periods of block-time in my calendar for work time. Holding to it sometimes requires discipline, especially when I’ve not yet completed what I’m working on.

Here’s a snapshot of my work activity.

Every day begins with my spiritual activity, including mindfulness practice followed by a brief walk. (More about this next week in Part 3.)

I’ve nutritious meals and snacks ready for throughout the day.

I’ve created optimal conditions for the ways I like to work.

I live in, and work from, my home-office surrounded by the tranquility of nature.

Delivering my services via phone or zoom is supported by reliable 2G and 5G wifi.

My calendar is organized and guided by the priorities. My appointments are spaced with periodic breaks for maintaining freshness. I factor in what may be needed to be fully prepared, including strategies for dealing with something unexpected.

Breaks are scheduled throughout the day, including 10-20 minute walks which I find refreshing. Any work activity is off limits during my walk time.

I look forward to the weekly zoom time with colleagues. We talk about our work and a bit about our personal lives. Sometimes we’ll share support via peer coaching on pressing issues. All of this makes a difference.

There are cycles when I refresh something about my work, like my new web site. I was surprised how much it improved illustrating my services. https://www.otanpatrickford.com

Recently I’ve returned to writing articles both on LinkedIn and on otanpatrickford.substack.com. I love to write and hope it becomes a way to share some of my interests and experience. I’ve needed to learn how to schedule my writing time because I would sometimes just want to continue writing and writing. Smiles.

At the end of my work day, by early evening, I’ll spend 5 minutes reviewing what was accomplished and reschedule, as needed, appointments or other work. My schedule for the next day is ready.

Then I ease into personal time.

3) Physical Exercise is an essential activity in my every day and week. I find the consistency and quality of my physical exercise is essential for refreshing my body, mind, emotions and spirit. When I fall behind in my routine, it takes some time to reestablish my foundation in this area.

Physical exercise is a time when I am absorbed in something not related to men workday. This in itself is rejuvenating. My body also becomes oxygenated. The physical movement helps release stress I’m carrying in my lungs and muscles.

Here’s a few activities I schedule so they are a part of my every day or week.

I have the good fortune of loving the experience of physical exercise. I’m a life long athlete. I was a scholarship football athlete in college.

I’m fascinated by the progressive changes in my exercise routine. I don’t jog as fast or far, but enjoy every step. I jog or speed walk 4-6x per week, alternating the distance so I have days of stronger workouts and easier ones that allow for recovery. During weekends I sometimes enjoy longer walks in nature, especially with friend(s).

The weights I use now are lighter (but don’t tell anyone :) yet I enjoy each rep and set. I work out with weights or exercise stretch bands 4x per week, alternating the body area of focus. This allows sufficient rime for recovery.

I love the experience of cutting wood by-hand for the fireplace or wood burning stove. I’ve a functioning, antique bow-saw that I estimate to be from the early 1900’s. I prize it. After clearing an area of fallen tree limbs, I'll have cycles of 20-30 minutes of hand cutting the wood.

After a lifetime of being active, I am finally incorporating real stretching into my day. (I’d like yoga to soon follow.) This is often a part of my pre-sleep routine.

I look forward to these activities. I've learned when I haven’t time for the full activity, even a 12 minute intensive workout or a brief nature walk can make a difference in my day. And maintaining the consistency fortifies my self care foundation.

Note: My first-aid kit includes a short, very intensive workout for times I feel especially stressed.

4) Diet and nutrition is another cornerstone I have long incorporated into my self care.

I quickly experience the effect when I’m eating junk or anything that dulls the senses of my heart, mind or emotion. So I’ve learned to closely observe what I eat or drink and how my body responds.

Here are some of my diet and nutrition routines.

For decades my diet has consistently been natural and balanced.

When eating at restaurants, I pay close attention to the food quality and its preparation.

From time to time I’ve consulted with colleagues who are nutrition practitioners. They’ve helped me understand the foods and their combinations that best serve, or stress, me. At times I’ve realized I'd build a tolerance for something that actually stressed me but had gotten used to my reactions after consuming it. I then noticed an improvement in the quality of my vitality after changing to something more beneficial.

I know the importance of sufficient, quality hydration. Yet I schedule routine periods to be sure I am drinking throughout the day. I can be absorbed in what I’m doing and then find myself consuming only a glass or two of water for the day. I will notice feeling more depleted toward the end of the afternoon when I would normally be energized.

GIGO, garbage in - garbage out, is something I keep in front of me in all areas, including what I take into my body, emotions, mind or spirit.

5) Restful sleep is another high priority of my self care that I need to schedule and protect from the seeming demands of my work day. The overall quality of my self care effects the quality of my restful sleep.

Here are some of the routines that guide me toward the end of my day.

I will schedule periods for shifting gears. This includes when my work time begins to slow and then actually stop for the day, even during deadlines. I’ll also stop using any technology, such as the phone or computer, for an hour or more before bedtime.

As I do my best to slow down I have time to do things that nourish me. This includes: going for a slow walk and enjoying nature / stretching / reading something personal or spiritual that I find soothing.

I ease into sleep every night by doing a mindfulness practice, with prayer, for 5 or 10 minutes or more. I find this releases tensions and refreshes which prepares me for a more restful sleep.

Reflections for optimizing your self care foundation.

1) During the intensity and pace of your day-week-year, which of these 5 fundamentals have not even been on your radar?

2) Be encouraged to muse over them for the next few days.

3) Choose 1 or 2 that, when improved, can generate a difference in your personal and work life.

4) What is your action plan and supports for taking the first, and next steps?

If these fundamentals of self care speak with you, then be encouraged to reach out for an innovative and complimentary Talk Time with Otan.

otan@otanpatrickford.com 1.973.229.7174 https://www.otanpatrickford.com

SUBSCRIBE to my new series of weekly articles on Substack. otanpatrickford.substack.com.

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