Part 4 – Self-Care is Critical for Self-Management

Self-management encompasses everything within and around us. Taking care of yourself is an important aspect of achieving it. Nuggets from Coach Cheenu's workshop session on dealing with challenges as part of the NICE Arohana 2 series.

In order to be successful at self-management, you must understand what it comprises. Like any other inculcated habit, self-management encompasses everything within and around us. Taking care of yourself is an important aspect of achieving self-management.

This article is part 4 of 4 in our series on Self-Management. It is based on the workshop session we had with Coach Cheenu G Srinivasan on dealing with challenges as part of the NICE Arohana 2 series. Cheenu is a certified Leadership, Executive and, HappYness Coach with over 15,000 hours of coaching experience, he talks about the basics of self-management and how you can improve it. 

Cheenu is a NICE Friend and is part of the NICE community.

The 3 Crucial Factors of Self-Care

Physical Body 

Your physical well-being and fitness affect the quality of your work. The way you think, act and process information depends on it. 

Here are a few tips to keep it ideal and healthy: 

  • Diet – food plays a much bigger role in your daily productivity than you give it credit for. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting helps reduce weight in the healthiest way possible. While it varies based on body type, always ensure there is a notable gap between each of your meals. 

Avoid being in an overfed state. An exceptionally heavy meal makes you want nothing more than to take a nap. Your choice of food types and portion sizes must be ideal and fixed. 

  • Water, the elixir of life – Hydrate yourself. Water makes up a great percentage of your body, so consume it enough to be in good physiological shape. 
  • Exercise and Exposure to Nature – Spend about 20 minutes each morning after you wake up out in the open. A good amount of sunlight and fresh air is enough to rejuvenate every cell in your body. 

Don’t curl up on your balcony. Complete exposure to the outside atmosphere does more good than you can think. Expose your eyes and skin cells to the Vitamin D they deserve. 

  • Sleep, your daily fuel – We often neglect what big role sleep plays in your day-to-day lives. A solid 7-9 hours, ideally between 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. is absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the mind and body.

self-management Mind and Emotions

The book Why We Sleep by Dr. Matt Walker perfectly encapsulates the power sleep has on your daily activities. 

Sleep is the fuel you need to refill before you can continue driving on the path of life. Refusing to refill as you continue moving ahead is inefficient. Make a schedule. Get those 7 hours to see the difference.

Mind and Emotions 

Your mind processes information with the help of pre-existing memories and experiences. It takes 25% of your total physical energy to consume a fresh piece of information. So the brain uses assumptions to create a ritualized thought process. This is why you must channel all of your biases in the right direction before consuming new information. 

A lot of decisions you make might affect social and personal relationships. It is important to figure out the facts completely before you act on what your brain involuntarily tells you. 

The same applies to problem-solving. 

Do NOT get anxious and worked up when you encounter a bump. Think with a calm mind. 

Turn your challenges into opportunities by practicing “Service and Serve”. Go out, socialize – helping others with their problems is a good way to solve the ones you face.

All Things External

It is important to understand that everything external is beyond our control. 

Accept that you are surrounded by an environment you cannot alter. Focus on what little you can do to make it a better place for others around you. No person is an island. We are all interdependent on each other. Your actions must be made after considering how it affects the people around you. 

Obstacles are an integral part of an entrepreneur’s journey. Embark on the ride to self-management while keeping this in mind. 

Putting It All Together

The ultimate message we learned from this talk was to channel our thoughts in the right direction, take good care of our physical body and always picture ourselves as part of the larger community. Working on these aspects will make our journey towards self-management smoother than it can be.

To attain success and satisfaction as an entrepreneur, your physical and mental health is as critical as your business model. Focus on yourself as an individual, who is part of a bigger ecosystem. This will bring out the bright side in you both at work and in your personal life. Develop a routine to maintain the balance. 

Nothing screams a successful entrepreneur like one that has his/her self-management skills at hand every step of the way. 

Watch the full session here

If you missed the previous parts, read them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Image credit: Unsplash

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