You do so much for your company, your clients, and your loved ones. Here are my five favorite simple, impactful self-care hacks you can do just for you. You deserve it.
The Sleepy CEO was born from a place of burnout. As a neurodivergent entrepreneur, I knew that if I wanted to build something sustainable that also honored my neurotype and benefitted my clients long term, I would have to go about everything differently. I’ll share more about my long entrepreneurship journey soon, should that interest you, but suffice it to say that every hurdle I’ve crossed has led me to this moment and this business.
I share this with you because context is everything. I’m not sharing a two-hour morning routine and telling you that you must wake up at 4 am or you’re lazy (ugh, I hate that word). Everything I share is from the perspective of a woman who has spent the last eight years learning and adapting habits, routines, and rituals that best support my brain for a successful day. I could talk about this for hours because I truly believe that my habits and mindset changed my life (and that both are possible, even if your brain is wired differently than the other 80% of the population). That said, if I had to pick just five as a starting place, these would be the five I’d share with you.
Without further ado, here are five of my favorite self-care hacks:
- Pick just three things you could do in the morning that would set you up for a successful day.
One of my first clients was a mom of two boys. When I asked her what her three things would be, she said she would brush her hair, put on mascara, and put on something other than pajama bottoms. That’s it. For her, all three of these action items took a total of five minutes, and yet they symbolized her reclaiming a bit of her identity that she felt she had lost since becoming a mother.
For me, I always make my bed, drink my “wake-up juice” (a nootropics powder mixed with water), and do 100 jumps. No matter where I am in the world, whether it’s a work day or vacation, these three actions are personal non-negotiables because they help me feel alert and like I’ve already started the day ahead of the curve.
- Pick background music for the mood you’re trying to set.
Task switching can be a task all on its own, but music is so connected to our moods and self-expression that this hack is incredibly powerful for switching to the mind state needed most at that moment.
In the morning, if I’m not listening to a book, I’m listening to my motivational playlist on Spotify (shoot me an email if you’d like me to send the playlist your way!). Once I’m ready to start work, I switch to binaural beats music that has a certain RPM found to work best with neurodivergent brains. This music has no words, so it doesn’t counteract any creative thinking or writing I may need to do throughout the day. My partner and I work remotely, so sound-canceling headphones are my best friend!
At the end of the day, I take out my earphones and, weather-dependent, love to go on a walk or at least hang out with my two dogs in our backyard. I feel grounded again in the world around me. This really helps me switch from work mode to relaxation mode so I can better connect with my family.
- Find a way to move / sweat that works with your body.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you to work out three times a week for thirty minutes, and frankly, I’m tired of “gurus” telling you that if you aren’t doing at least that, then you must be lazy or undisciplined. It’s this individualistic (and ableist, tbh) mindset that ends up holding so many brilliant humans back from their most expansive selves.
Here’s the deal: we do benefit from sweating and getting our heartbeat up, but we have to find the way that works best with your body and lifestyle. I have not been to a gym in forever. The lighting and loud music alone make me never want to go back. That said, I love going on long walks with my partner, and I also have an infrared sauna “hot pocket” that I lay in for 45 minutes two to three times per week. Did I have to save up for this purchase when I bought it years ago? Yes. But I paid less for my hot pocket one time than I would’ve paid for a gym membership over the last four years, and it’s still going strong. PLUS, I burn more calories in one session in my hot pocket than in a three-mile run at the gym. Win-win.
Maybe movement for you is dancing to your favorite 2000s rock, swimming, or something more gentle like gyro tonics, Alexander technique, or somatic exercises. The point isn’t the how. The point is getting out of your head and into your body. For me, it feels on brand that I’d find a way to “work out” while sleeping in my hot pocket. How very Sleepy CEO of me. 🙂
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