If you are like most people, you have probably had the experience of working all night to get something done. You may have gone without sleep, skipped meals, and other important factors in self-care, for the purpose of finishing a task or meeting a deadline. While it is sometimes necessary to do this, neglecting self-care on a regular or frequent basis will backfire. Your health may suffer while you are not accomplishing nearly as much as you had hoped.
Taking care of yourself will not only keep you in good health, it will also keep you productive. The person who goes without sleep on a regular basis, or relies on junk food instead of eating nutritious meals, will not be physically or mentally up to par. While you may believe that you are giving one hundred percent to your job, these unhealthy habits result in having less to give.
On the other hand, if you get enough sleep on a regular basis, and make a point of having a healthy diet, you will have more to give to your work. When you are in top-notch condition, you will focus better, be more alert, and not become fatigued as easily. You will do better, and you will do more.
If your work day has consisted of drinking many cups of coffee or other artificial energy-boosters, it is time to examine your self-care habits. If you find that you have not been getting enough sleep, and have been relying on these products to keep you functioning, or if you find that good nutrition has been replaced by junk food and snacks, it is time to assess what these habits are doing to your overall health. It is also time to think about the effects that it may be having on your job.
Although nearly everyone is occasionally in the position of skipping a meal or working late into the night, if these have become habits for you it is not likely that they are helping you to become more productive. In fact, they are probably slowing you down.
Even if you have a fast-paced job with many responsibilities and deadlines, neglecting proper self-care is counterproductive. When you begin developing the habit of getting enough sleep and a proper diet, you will be doing more than taking care of yourself. You will get more done, and be more satisfied with the results.
