Putting myself first is not something that happens a lot, but by remembering that being selfish is not a bad thing some of the time, can improve my wellbeing. The analogy of the oxygen mask on a plane is fitting, as you are asked to fit your own first before helping others to fit theirs. Sounds obvious, I know.
Earlier last year, highlighting a pattern in my absences, it seemed that every two months or so I became run down and was off sick for a few days. Striving to take responsibility, I wondered what restorative actions I could undertake, such as a thirty day online breathing workshop, jogging, Personal Training, or just spending lunchtimes in the park.
In conjunction with my manager, a Wellness Action Plan was created. The Wellness Action Plan exists to recognise the signs where you’re on that slope that leads towards sickness, and what steps to take to turn this around. It can be quite hard to be objective at times, hence this tool.
Also useful was the Wheel of Life. Areas of life, such as friends, family, exercise, finances, etc., were scored between 1 -10, making a spiderweb-like map, to visually clarify which areas could benefit from small adjustments, resulting in a large impact. A tick sheet was created as a handy daily reminder.
In addition to strategically using annual leave, taking days to de-stress, I started to take more responsibility for my wellbeing.
As a result, my sickness has reduced significantly since January 2023.