You deserve self-care for your career

Leadership

Mar 28

Episode 395 | Author: Emilie Aries

What would it look like to bring the concept of self-care to your career?

I was recently chatting with job-seekers after I wrapped up a workshop at our HQ in Denver, and it occurred to me that we were all spending our most precious resource - time - devoted to a form of self-care: self-care for our careers.

What is career care?

When I said it out loud, it made perfect sense, “We need a word to describe career care.” Every woman in the room nodded. Because we all know that spending time on yourself - including on your own career advancement - is a radical act, especially for women in a world that has conditioned us to put everyone else’s needs before our own.

Put simply, “career care” describes the ways in which you proactively move your career in the direction you want it to go.

This could look like spending time job-searching, developing your professional skillset, pursuing education, and growing your influence through networking and community-building. This can take hours of devoted effort and focus.

Let’s be real: who has time for that when working 40+ hours a week?

It can be so hard to prioritize your career care, especially if you're a caretaker already juggling all the responsibilities of keeping yourself and others alive and well.

And yet, it’s so important to make your career care a priority - especially amid layoff anxiety and economic uncertainty.

Why is CAREER CARE important?

If don’t prioritize your career advancement, no one else will for you.

I learned this first-hand early on in my career when I was tapped to serve as the Rhode Island State Director for Organizing for America. I poured 110% of myself into that job, building up the volunteer-run organization, growing our social networks, and expanding our organization’s reach - both online and off. And when that campaign cycle came to a close and I found myself laid off, what did I have to show for it?

Not much. I had been so busy building the organization’s brand that I’d completely neglected my own personal brand.

I remember committing to myself that I would never let that happen again. Even as someone who loves my work and absolutely devotes myself to my role, I would never again neglect my own career. Because for better or worse, no one can steer your career for you.

How can you make career care a priority?

So how can you actually make time to make your career care a priority? It doesn’t have to be complicated. Let’s get started right now with two simple steps:

First, make a list of the actions you can take that might actually advance your career. Write them down in your planner, in the notes app on your phone, or on you TO DO list now. You might include:

Taking a course
Reading a book
Networking with industry leaders
Reconnecting with mentors and sponsors
Tracking your wins at work
Posting on Linkedin like a thought leader

…or anything else that feels like it’s never at the top of your TO DO list at work even though you know it would help you take your career in the right direction.

Then, make it part of your routine. Set a calendar reminder or alarm on your phone so that once a week, once a month, or at the very least, once a quarter you’re reminded to bring a little self-care to your career.

And give yourself time in your schedule when your brain will actually be engaged - not just Friday at 4pm when you’ve already mentally hit a wall. Give yourself the gift of some of your peak performance hours every now and then - because you and your career are worthy of your time, energy, and attention in the same way that your loved ones and work colleagues are, too.