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Copyright Sukhy Bains: Apr 2010. All rights reserved
Questions or comments? Email us at sukhy@asianwomanfocus.com Or call 0791 702 4214
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Inspiring Asian Women everywhere to lead Empowered, PASSIONATE and fuLfilled lives |
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April 2010 ISSUE 3 |
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focus |
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Asian Woman |
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Newsletter packed with ideas, latest research, tools & techniques specially geared to supporting Asian women excel in their career, relationships, family and in celebrating their own individuality. |
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In this issue: |
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¨ Editor’s Welcome ¨ Feature article: Self Care or Self Abuse ¨ 5 steps to having more energy ¨ Editor’s Recommendation: Inspiring Video |
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Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think may find it valuable. |
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Don’t wait until you are depleted from stress and overwhelmed. Take action on a daily basis that will keep you nourished and full of energy. You owe it to yourself and to your family to take good care of yourself. It is essential if you want to consistently perform at a high level. You cannot be on the top of your game and highly effective if you do not feel great inside. Top athletes know the importance of this and maintain a daily regime that keeps them in optimal performance, body and mind. To be successful in achieving whatever our goals may be and enjoying life at the same time, we need to do the same.
There is a big ugly myth out there that I see when I talk to clients about making time for themselves; they inevitability come back with the remark, “I don’t have time to look after myself, I have got so many other things to worry about”. Good news is that you don’t need bags more time; you just need to change the way you think!
Take daily actions It is important to start thinking about self-care before you are absolutely worn out. Self-care should be a part of your daily routine. Just like you need to feed your body daily at regular intervals, you also need daily and regular fuel for your mind. If you starve yourself for a few days of food, you become weak. Well… it’s the same if you starve yourself of daily mental nourishment, you will become mentally tired, lack-lustre and easily frustrated. Your mental nourishment is vital for it is what gives you energy. Your mental nourishment may consist of small, everyday things; these are things that make you feel good. |
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Editor’s message |
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Welcome to Issue 3. Spring is in the air and nature is in a hive of activity getting busy preparing for the year. Whilst sun seekers like myself are hanging on to a hopeful promise of warm and vibrant months to come, I’m also looking forward to the club championships at my local squash club. Last year I lost in the final - I had to concede after tearing my calf muscle half way through the game. I was devastated - so this year, I definitely want to see my name up on the Club Champions Board. Wish me luck!
Hope you enjoy this issue and find it useful. Any comments or suggestions for any future articles are most welcome. |
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Self-Care or Self Abuse? |
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It’s so easy for Asian women to forget about looking after themselves, we are so conscientious and driven and determined to do well in everything we do. We get so focused on doing a good job and on being there for everyone as well as sorting out the kids, parents, husband, the world and his dog; that we forget that actually….even Superwoman needs time for herself to refuel and reenergise. Sometimes we are in such a hurry speeding along the motorway to get from one place to another that we don’t even have time to stop for petrol. What happens when the petrol gage is running on near empty? You feel physically and mentally tired, frustrated at things that wouldn’t normally bother you, life seems hard and a struggle, you feel miserable and feel you desperately need a holiday to get away from it all. |
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5 step guide to keep yourself nourished and full of energy |
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Draw two columns. Label the left hand column ‘energy gain’ and the right hand column ‘energy drain’
Step 1. In the left hand column write down all the things you enjoy or new things you might find exciting. These are things that would make you feel good. Some suggestions might be a 15 minute stroll in the park at lunchtime, listening to music you love, ringing a friend you enjoy talking to, sharing a joke with a colleague, acknowledging yourself for what you have achieved that day and not solely focusing on what you haven’t done yet, watching the sunset, celebrating a recent success with a friend, playing or trying a new sport.
Step2. In the right hand column, write down all the things that drain your energy. These might be certain situations, certain people behaviour or certain re-occurring thoughts you have.
Step 3. Review your list – what does this tell you about your situation?
Step 4. From the left hand column, make sure you incorporate as many of these in your everyday actions. Put them in your diary or on your phone to remind yourself, if that will make you do it more.
Step 5. Start thinking about how you might manage the things in the right hand column so they not so damaging. What actions can you take here? Or how might you shift your thinking if it is something you can’t control? You can’t always control what happens to you but you can control how you think about it.
If you are going through a particularly stressful period you may need to take even more care of yourself than you normally would and diary in more things from the left hand column.
When we are told safety information on an aeroplane, we are always told that when the oxygen masks come down, we must put the masks on ourselves first before attending to children or helping others. The same applies here, if we don’t look after ourselves then we will soon run out of oxygen to look after others.
And remember, in order for us to sustain performance at high levels, we consistently need to be looking after ourselves, or else we will run out motivation and steam! |
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Sukhy Bains recommends |
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Watch this inspiring video from Ted Talks on Kiran Bir Sethi showing how her ground breaking Riverside School in India teaches kids life's most valuable lesson: "I can."
Watch her students take local issues into their own hands, lead other young people, even educate their parents.
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