On how to do good for others! Good routines give more energy!

By saying “Help yourself first” I don’t mean for you to take the first serving at dinner meetings or to be first in line to things. I mean that in order to do good for others you have to strengthen yourself first. It is like on the airplanes where you in case of emergency are told to put on your own oxygen mask before you try to help anyone else – even though it might feel like you should save your child/relative/friend/workmate first. Helping others first may be counterproductive.

If you are not in good shape you might not have energy enough to be a good help to others when it is needed. And you will do a lousy job supporting your staffs. I guess we have all been in that situation that we should have done something and let it pass because we were just too exhausted.

This is why you as leader need to help yourself to a healthy and energized life first. Not only will you be able to do a better job but you will also function as a good role model.

Some key factors are energy and stress management and that is often looked upon as about organization and structure and so on. But I want to add that it maybe even more is about taking basic care of your body and soul by good food, good sleep and physical activity in regular hours and adequate quantities. I´ll talk more about how to in future blog posts.

Today I just want to suggest this exercise:

Get yourself a Good Morning Ritual!

That is a routine to do every morning to strengthen you before the workday. Mine is a 30 minutes brisk walk before breakfast – gets my brain going. Then a good healthy breakfast planned and prepared the evening before – to provide nutrients and energy for the whole morning up until lunch. Then a quick shower, get dressed and off to work. You might have to get up a little earlier in the morning to get this going but I am sure it is worth it. After having done this every weekday for a month you will find that it is not a new routine anymore, it is a ritual you can’t live without. And you are all set to do good for others too.

Of course there are many ways to do this. How do you care for yourself? Do you feel you are ahead with energy to give someone a good helping hand? Please share your experience below! I would love to learn more ways to do it.

If you like this I would be happy if you share it with your friends – just give them this web-link. While at the site both you and your friends shall also feel free to sign up for my E-zine. If you do that you will also get my FREE audio-series “5 Golden Nuggets for Supreme Health”.

Keep smiling!

Dr. Annika