Our world needs you healthy, take care of your first

I’m not sure who else needs to hear this today, but I hear so often how taxed our clients are for time, and how much the pandemic has thrown a wrench into all of our abilities to plan ahead. Something we love to talk about (and constantly recalibrate for ourselves and our team) is this idea of “personal sustainability.” We know we cannot do great things in the world without taking care of ourselves first.

I know you’re committed to the work you do in the world and the world needs your superpowers (yes 100%!). But please, NOT at the detriment of your health. The last two years have been a wild ride and we’ve all learned a little more about how to take better care of ourselves. I truly believe by taking care of ourselves we’re taking care of the earth, and most importantly, our ability to work with a clear, focused and healthy mindset.

Here are some ideas from our team, to share inspiration about how they’re actively supporting their own personal sustainability:

Calliope shares:

“A big part of personal sustainability for me is to live within my means and be appreciative of what I have. The illusionary messaging of “having it all” motivates working more to pay for more, which increases stress and bad health in a series of diminishing returns. It’s a life lesson on repeat as I look for ways to live in a smaller footprint and to find contentment in that. Part of my solution is in contributing to a resilient community. Since 2016, I’ve been volunteering for, and am now on the board of, the SHED, a non-profit cooperative tool library for the Comox Valley. We’ve got 390 tools in our catalogue and are starting work on a container garden collaboration with Vancouver Island Regional Library’s seed library, as well as a big membership drive later this year.”

Lisa shares:

“The three things keeping me sane these days are time-blocking, online spin, and funnily enough, making my own lunch ahead of time. I am my family’s lunch-maker, but for the past year, I made everyone else’s perfectly packed lunch kit and then I’d skip lunch myself. I’ve worked from home for nearly a decade now, but with two young kiddos, I have never felt so many pulls for my time. Now I make my own lunch kit (even though my office is just downstairs) and I can take a super quick break to eat and not burn ½ hr trying to decide what to make. It has been such a nice way to support my basic needs, and for someone who really doesn’t prioritize eating, it keeps me from getting hangry!”

Madelen shares:

“Keeping my home and office space neat, organized, and pretty allows me to stay relaxed and focused throughout the day. Clutter stresses me out! I take a few minutes every evening to tidy up, so I can wake up to a fresh, clean space. This one tiny habit does wonders for my mental health. I also live by the ‘bring an item into the house, take an item out of the house’ rule. When it’s time for things to go, I give them away through my local Buy Nothing Project group. I get to meet lovely, like-minded neighbours who also appreciate the gifting economy (social distanced during COVID, of course), see my things giving someone else joy, and keep items out of the landfill.”

Sarita shares:

“My tips for personal sustainability are about taking care of your body and your mind. Can’t solve the world’s problems with a burnt out, exhausted body! Gotta take care of that temple! Make time to move in any way that makes your body feel good — it can be as small as 1/2 hour per day, or more if you can squeeze it in. And totally disconnect from notifications/screens at least once a week for a few hours (a whole day if you can!) to give your body time to reset and come back to its natural rhythm. If you can narrow your screen time window per day, even better.”

The simplest shifts can have the biggest impacts. What can do you do to support your own personal sustainability?