Sustainable success comes by nurturing, not neglecting, yourself

This feature is part of Mindstream’s participation in the Wellness Moonshot, an awareness campaign for a world free of preventable disease that’s led by The Global Wellness Institute. Each month features a theme, and November 2020 is NURTURE.

By Katie Adams

Nurture is a word and action I’ve become really familiar with and committed to both personally and professionally. It is a word that is under-used in society and often only viewed through one lens — our interaction with others. For many it’s simply associated with our actions as friends, partners, parents, work colleagues, mentors, and community members. However, to be able to nurture others well we need to actively nurture ourselves.

It’s the only way can we show up at our best for those that matter to us, and consistently have a positive impact on them and the world around us. Only through actively nurturing a “sustainable self” can we achieve sustainable success (however we define that for ourselves personally and professionally). Yes, it is possible to nurture others and have a degree of impact while neglecting ourselves, but ultimately that approach is untenable; it doesn’t support us to fulfil our potential and, honestly, over time it simply isn’t that enjoyable. And who wants to live a life that isn’t enjoyable?!

The first step — for those who are serious about committing to themselves — is to connect with who you are, what makes you tick and how you’d like to live. Only then can we clarify what actions and activities will best support us to nurture ourselves and how to best manage these alongside our other important commitments. No one size fits all. What works for me won’t necessarily work for you, which is why we need to look within if we are to win with this.

The great thing is it’s never too late to start nurturing ourselves — I’m testament to that! For 15 years I worked in the public and private sector helping organisations and teams review, plan and improve the way they worked and delivered. I know the challenges of high-pressure environments, delivering to tight deadlines, juggling multiple commitments, and family life. I also know the negative impact always putting others first can have on us as individuals. After realising I’d sleep-walked into living an unbalanced life that wasn’t the right fit for me, I refocused my career to helping women intentionally own, design and live their own lives.

Nurturing ourselves doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or costly. As well as intentionally living my life in alignment with my personal life design, I’ve come to embrace micro-moments of self-care into my days to help me nurture myself on a ongoing basis. This could mean my personal tea-making ritual and sitting outside with nature to drink it; a walk around the block; reading for enjoyment; colouring or crafting briefly; or listening to an uplifting song (sometimes with a dance thrown in!).

As long as it offers a chance to rest or recharge, or simply inject some joy and fun into everyday life, then it’s a micro-moment that nurtures you for sustainable success.

Katie Adams is a life and wellbeing coach based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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“The Wellness Moonshot: A world without preventable disease” is a movement organised by the Global Wellness Institute. Mindstream joins Prevention Magazine and other organisations and individuals in this effort to drive awareness about our own choices for wellness. Everyone is welcome to participate. Learn more. 

#wellnessmoonshot #intention #wellness