What self-care practices do you use to decompress?
It was a ice-breaker question that members of a business group needed to answer as part of their introduction. Almost everyone in the group started with something along the lines of “well I know that I should be exercising” but what I really do is …. guess what they said.
As some of you know, I’ve been trying to get more people working out and living a healthier lifestyle [aka: Hello Workout]. My introduction was last so there was no bias in the responses for what I do or anything that I said.
After hearing everyone’s “confessions”, I almost felt bad introducing myself and sharing a bit about my lifestyle. If you’re wondering, I am a strong believer in regular maintenance whether it’s my car or my body. Both work better when they are cared for properly.
Inspiring, nudging and telling people to workout might not be the right approach. It makes people feel ashamed and it makes people initiating the conversation feel bad. It’s awkward all the way around.
Many in the business group talked about caring for others. There is no shame in caring for others. So maybe the better question is “How do you care for yourself?”.
Words are powerful. Simple changes can make a big impact.
Shame steers people into a life of silence, inactivity, lying and hiding.
~ Harriet Lerner
