Self Care Archives - Illuminate You

Looking after our mental as well as our physical health is so important. As we enter spring and to mark mental health awareness week 10-16 May, now is a great time to reflect on what is working for you and to be alert to any changes you may wish to make. Our mental health can…

Often December can be a month of frenetic activity both at home and at work. This year may well bring different challenges, yet there is also an opportunity to reflect and to celebrate what we have personally achieved. This brings me on to the topic for this month’s blog – self-leadership. At the end of…

Burnout in the workplace can be very common, in our 24/7 culture it can be easy to feel like we are constantly “on”. Our brains can feel wired all the time and the lines between work and home life can easily blur. To explain what we mean by burnout, we define it as “exhaustion of…

August can be a great chance to refresh and reenergise. Whether you are taking holiday, working through or taking a staycation, building regular moments of reflection, i.e. thinking time, is invaluable and yet is often an overlooked item in our ever-increasing busy diaries. When was the last time you took some time to stop, think…

Our mental health may not be visible like our physical body and yet it is just as important to our overall wellbeing. I think of it like a garden. Firstly, we have to set up the flowers and plants with space in between them and choose the items that go in to it. Secondly, we…

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn” Benjamin Franklin We have all experienced conversations where the other person is giving us advice. They impart their wisdom and tell you what to do and how to do it. What tends to happen is the listener’s brain switches off…

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend” – Theophrastus Our lives have become so busy that time management really has become our most precious skill. I read a story of a dying man recently and it struck me that whilst we’re living our day to day lives, we often forget that every…

Self-care for Senior Leaders – developing positive habits to look after yourself. Quote: “Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do” Sean Covey I have noticed a pertinent theme with the people I work with – so much to do and so little…

I look back many years ago to a time when I put everyone else first – work, children, friends and tasks – you name it I would do it. I didn’t say no and I had martyrdom characteristics. And for a long time I kept saying yes and got more and more tired and more…