Imagine starting your day with a sense of calm, energy, and positivity. That's the essence of self-care—taking deliberate actions to nurture your mind, body, and spirit. In today's hectic world, self-care has become more vital than ever. It's not just about pampering yourself; it's about creating a more intentional, consistent practice that can significantly enhance your personal and professional life and decrease the likelihood you'll burn out from chronic overload and stress.

The truth is, most of us continue to put off to tomorrow what could be done today with proper scheduling, boundaries, and clear goals. And, as someone who has experienced burnout, I can say with certainty that tomorrow is sometimes all too late.

It was late 2009. That night, I had a party at my house that had been planned for weeks for family, friends, and staff. It was just a few short weeks before Christmas, and I was coming out of, and still slightly in, some of my busier times. When I awoke that morning, I felt off. Now, if I am being completely honest, I had felt "off" for a few months. 

• Mood swings

• Headaches

• Insomnia

• Frequent illnesses

"Off".

Regardless of the yellow, orange, dark orange, and yes, even red flag signals, my body continued to show me — I pushed on. I didn't have time to take a vacation, go for a walk, or just pause. I commuted to two bustling businesses an hour and a half apart, two young children, numerous boards I sat on, and a spouse who probably wanted to talk to me between trips to and from each business. I didn't have time to listen to those warning signals.

But as my day continued in preparation for the party, my "off" feeling started to take on a life of its own. First, with a nauseous sense, over a few hours, I started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. As the first guest arrived at the party, I scrambled to drive from the grocery store to home — I lost my eyesight. At about 110 kilometers per hour, down a dark highway, my eyes came in and out of focus. Pulling over, panicking — I called my husband.

As we got home safely and my eyesight returned to normal, I decided to push on with the party... I had already done so much work to prepare for it. As the night progressed, my symptoms worsened. By the following morning, I couldn't walk from point A to point B without assistance; severe vertigo had taken over. I couldn't focus on anything, my eyes dimming in and out of vision.

Within a few days, I was hospitalized.

Two weeks before Christmas, I had a busy business to care for, two young children wondering where their mother was, and I was bedridden.

Test after test, doctors were dumbfounded. No one could decipher what was happening to my body. After about a week in the hospital, I recall the doctor coming in and sitting beside me and asking me a series of what I felt like at the moment were silly questions; 

• "How many hours a week do you work?"

• "What is your sleep schedule?"

• "Do you exercise, how is your diet"?

• "How would you rate your stress levels?"

After watching me become noticeably annoyed by the series of irrelevant questions, the doctor paused. "I believe we have your diagnosis—stress, well, more specifically—CHRONIC STRESS."

Today, we call it burnout.

I had been ignoring the signs, pushing down and past the stress, not living in true joy and fulfillment—and unfortunately, my body kept score. Unfortunately, your body does, too! The reality was moving from a lifestyle where I embraced the hustle to one where I embraced rest didn’t come easy. It had become a habit of mine for as long back as I could remember. However, as I mentioned, the body keeps score — and my score had maxed out. It was no longer about whether I wanted to; if I was to be playing at my best for my kids, husband, and businesses, I needed to learn how to integrate self-care into my lifestyle. I needed to find a way NOT to burn out again.

According to SHRM's Employee Mental Health Report from 2024, over 44% of employees feel burned out or emotionally drained. The impact can be felt across organizations nationwide, with nearly 36% experiencing an overall lack of interest, motivation, and energy. While that may not sound daunting out the gate, over time, stress left unchecked and compounded leads to a typically healthy system running wild and fighting against itself. 

The truth is that stress is here to stay, and that’s not a bad thing. Stress is necessary for growth, innovation, and change. It’s our system's catalyst for encouraging our “get up and go” energy. That sudden increase in cortisol and adrenaline helps our body move into the next right action for our safety, increasing our heart rate and blood pressure so we can move with more haste.

This only becomes a concern when we live in a more constant state of stress, giving our body the signal that we still need to be activated. This long-term activation exposes us to too much cortisol and stress hormones, negatively affecting our body’s natural processes and putting us, as we saw in my story above, at risk for many health problems, including burnout.

Coming out of my burnout was a process. After being released from the hospital, I had to make a lot of adjustments in my life. I learned how to put my phone on silent, not being bombarded with continuous dings and vibrations. I found calm and solace in mindful walking in nature and improved my diet from eating at restaurants on my way to work to one where I fueled my system with nutritious foods. I learned to say no more and how to schedule time throughout my week for both exercise and fun, making both nonnegotiable. These weren’t massive changes, but minor improvements done consistently overtime for the betterment of my health, and thus my joy!

So, I am going to assume we’ve come to a mutual understanding that stress is inevitable and that the goal here is not to remove it entirely but to learn how to reduce it, release it, and build effective coping strategies.

This is where you decide how to apply knowledge and turn it into action. Where should you start?

Let's explore some practical and achievable self-care strategies. Consider these your toolkit for a healthier, happier you: 

• Set Boundaries: Learn to say no. Prioritize tasks and set limits to avoid burnout. 

• Practice Mindfulness: To center your thoughts, spend a few minutes each day practicing mindfulness or meditation. A simple deep breathing exercise can make a huge difference.

• Stay Active: Regular physical activity is essential. Movement, whether it's a walk in the park or a gym session, boosts your mood and energy levels.

• Nutrition Matters: A balanced diet fuels your body and mind. Aim for a variety of nutrients to keep yourself functioning at your best. 

• Sleep Well: Never underestimate the power of good rest. Establish a nightly routine to help you unwind and ensure quality sleep. Turn off your gadgets, avoid the blue light, and open a good fiction book before bedtime.

• Regular Check-Ins: Just as we need regular check-ups with the doctor, we also need to learn to check in with ourselves. Once a week, evaluate your stress levels, what's working and what is not, and then iterate for the following week.

"Taking time to care for yourself is not selfish. It's essential. When you care for yourself, you can better care for others." – Unknown.

In conclusion, self-care is a necessity for maintaining personal happiness and professional success—all from the inside out!

About the Author

Terri-Ann Richards is a dynamic speaker, trainer, and author of Success Takes Courage: The Inside-Out Approach to Lasting Achievement and Happiness. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, having started her first business at 18 and owned eight companies across various industries, Terri-Ann brings practical wisdom to her audiences. Her global keynote speeches and training sessions emphasize resilience and grit as keys to achieving professional success and personal fulfillment. A Co-Founder of the Entrepreneurs Who Care Foundation and a driving force behind the BE event and the Night of Influence Awards Gala, Terri-Ann inspires individuals worldwide to embrace resilience and create meaningful success.