Practicing self-care is, at its core, an act of honoring your inherent worth and involves making decisions that prioritize your needs and well-being. However, why does it often feel so challenging or even uncomfortable to embrace?
Being “enough”
Unfair and unrealistic expectations placed on women can make it challenging to feel “enough,” while traditional gender roles have often reinforced the idea that women should prioritize others over themselves.
As a result, this can lead to sidelining personal needs, striving for perfection, or being in a constant pursuit of self-improvement.
High rates of burnout and chronic stress are not uncommon. Several factors can contribute to this, including:
- Emphasis on being likable or compliant
- Lack of representation, leading to the pressure to “prove” oneself
- Expending energy to “fit in” or hide authenticity in male-dominated spaces
- Unequal distribution of responsibilities outside of work
- Social reward systems (e.g., men being praised for prioritizing themselves more than women)
- Internalized bias and self-criticism (e.g., believing rest must be earned or that self-care is “selfish”)
In addition to the obstacles women face in the workplace overall, different groups of women encounter unique challenges. For instance, women of color may disproportionately experience racial-gender microaggressions, while women with disabilities may face ableist behavior.
There are many complex and specific reasons that make self-care particularly challenging for women. It’s essential to include these factors, along with the unique experiences of different women, in the conversation.
Ultimately, a shift is required where self-care is no longer seen as an indulgence, but recognized as a vital necessity.
Beyond productivity
Although the concept of self-care has gained popularity in recent years, it is often linked to the notion that taking care of yourself is a means to be more productive or to become your “best self.”
While self-care can undoubtedly bring numerous benefits to different areas of your life, including potentially enhancing your work performance, this should not be the primary motivation for practicing it.
Self-care matters because you matter—exactly as you are. Rather than using self-care to fuel the ongoing cycle of striving to be or do more, what if we embraced it as a way to cultivate greater self-acceptance?
Self-care and the workplace
Because of the nature and demands of business, working environments often make it particularly challenging to prioritize and embrace self-care.
Considering how much of our lives is spent at work, the notion that self-care should only happen outside of office hours doesn’t make sense.
Teams and companies must create the conditions that enable and support women in prioritizing their self-care.
Self-care can be embedded into work practices and prioritized within the workplace environment. Alongside gender-inclusive policies, this might involve:
- Setting clear boundaries
- Encouraging adherence to agreed working hours, time off, and sick leave
- Offering flexible work options
- Promoting honest conversations about individual needs
- Maintaining open communication channels
- Having role models and advocates for self-care (e.g., managers who refrain from sending emails late at night)
- Implementing company-wide initiatives, events, and well-being awareness campaigns
- Establishing support networks
- Providing access to learning resources (such as content on self-care strategies and coaching)
Working with your coach
Addressing your specific needs is central to self-care. But where do you begin? Since we all have unique experiences, this journey is deeply personal. Your coach will provide a safe space and collaborate with you to explore and identify the approaches that may work best for you.
Whether it’s building skills for managing stress and expectations, learning how to ask for and accept support, or cultivating self-compassion, coaching offers a variety of tools and strategies to promote self-care both on an individual and organizational level.