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This last week has been very overwhelming and a great reminder to me of the need for professional self-care. Professional self-care is one of the hardest of all the self-care sectors to maintain. I was bought up with the philosophy that if you work hard, it will be noticed, and you will be rewarded. There is some truth to this, but sadly what I also see happening is that the more reliable you are and the more willing to put in the extra hours, the more you are expected to fill in for colleagues who do less, often without thanks. It is important to be able to set boundaries in the workplace with other colleagues and bosses. If someone is going to respond negatively to your boundaries then it's usually proof, they were planning on using you for their advantage, rather than employing other staff or up-skilling the current staff.
My work starts in February each year and it begins with a lot of scheduling and planning. During this phase, some clients make my life challenging, to say the least, which can cost me time and money and give me significant stress. I'm slowly learning to be firm but polite to these people, making it clear what I expect of them and what I will not do. When you are running your own business and you are like me, this is a work in progress. I had one school, that firstly made scheduling a nightmare and then keep putting off filling in the necessary paperwork to allow me to come into the school. It is very frustrating in these circumstances and developing strong boundaries was defiantly needed in this situation.
I know that sometimes it's difficult to find work or to change jobs if you discovered that your colleagues or boss are not willing to respect your boundaries but sometimes self-care is not simple. If we want a life balance where we can be happy and healthy, we need to make some tough decisions and make some changes. Now as an autistic, I do not say this lightly. Change is a great nemesis for me and often a last resort - better the devil you know and all that. But personally, I don't want to work for a devil or with devils.
So how do we create professional self-care:
Reduce Overtime
Take your holidays and sick days.
Share your passions and ideas that relate to the workplace.
Take lunch breaks (not at your desk)
Make your expectations clear.
Help other colleagues by giving them support to do their job rather than doing it for them.
Advocate for your needs in the workplace to become a better employee.
Find a workplace that brings you joy and supports you when things are challenging.
Be willing to make a change when you are not supported in the workplace.
Increase your skills and knowledge through regular training.
Say No, when you need to.
Professional self-care is the one most likely to upset the balance and take time away from your other self-care needs. Our families, our health and our happiness are more important than any job, promotion or recognition.
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