Self-Care Isn’t Selfish
“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean ‘me first’; it means ‘me too’.””
I’m writing this as we head into the last month of the year. For those of you who work in fundraising, this is our busiest (or craziest) time of year.
And that’s on top of all of the year-end holiday activities!
We’ve talked a lot about tools and techniques to improve your fundraising, and to fearlessly ask for what you want (whether that’s a new job, better pay, or a big donation). Although perhaps my most important piece of advice for you is to take care of yourself.
That’s right. I know many people will tell you–and you may even tell yourself–to take care of everyone else first. And that’s great, initially. After a while, you may get tired, overwhelmed, and resentful. And that will show in your work and your treatment of others.
What I’ve found is that it’s perfectly acceptable to have an out-of-office message that reads, “I’m out of the office until December 2nd. I’ll respond to your email when I return.” No more, no less. Taking care of yourself–even taking some time off around the holidays–makes you better. And makes you better at taking care of others.
This year I’m taking off three days around US Thanksgiving, and another few days around Christmas. Even when I was working at nonprofits, I took some time off between Christmas and New Year’s. And you know what? No one asked why we didn’t have all of our year-end appeal deposits done until January 3rd.
So please–make some time for yourself this year, whether that’s grabbing your favorite hot beverage (egg nog latte, anyone?) and sipping it *in* the coffee shop instead of letting it get cold back at your desk, or taking a whole day off before or after a holiday.
Whatever is on your desk or in your inbox will still be there when you return, and I guarantee you’ll be better able to deal with it.
What’s your favorite way to give yourself a gift at holiday time? Share away in the comments!
