Taking care of personal well-being takes discipline.
I’ve had a lot of work lately and I realised I’m getting trapped again in a cycle of working overtime to find out that I haven’t stretched or taken my eyes off the computer for 11 hours.
That’s usually the beginning of a vicious cycle that continues with poor diet choices, not sleeping well, waking up tired, snoozing the alarm, not having enough time to work out before starting the workday, etc. Do it long enough and everything piles up - body aches, weight, anxiety.
I noticed that small changes in habits easily make or break the day. For example, checking the phone first thing in the morning while still in bed - I used to get up, put some music on, get the coffee ready and start the day. No phone. I’d have a really active but still relaxed morning, dedicating some time to a workout and doing some language course. I felt good because by the time I started work I’d have already done a few things for myself.
Now? I check the markets while still rolling in bed. Then, a quick peek at the news turns into reading four or five articles. Before I know it, I’m checking the emails and messages on Slack and my mind is already at work before I even get up. It’s really one of my worst current habits.
I’m beginning to notice that keeping oneself busy is the easy way out of thinking about other things that need attention. But in the meantime those things end up multiplying.