Self-care
Stock image via link
Organization, structure, clear processes. Do we really associate these only with professional life, or is there more behind them? This post is my reflection on that.
Every person is different. Everyone has different preferences. This strongly reminds me of job descriptions. Job listings may look similar, but at their core, every position is individual. I look at these characteristics from a retrospective perspective. Back then, there was also diversity, but it felt more tangible. Today, we keep going in circles, both professionally and personally. Many people shine at work but fail to get their private lives together, or vice versa. There are many such cases. Whether in a positive or negative sense, the question of blame does not always lie with those affected. Sometimes things simply go wrong and that has to be accepted as it is.
As humans, we are conditioned toward solution oriented thinking. Our system has to find a solution for everything, especially under the premise that it must be rational. Rational solutions are not always the best, but they are usually the most reasonable. In recent years, I have mostly chosen rational solutions, yet they were not the best ones. This is exactly where the principle of organization and self care becomes particularly relevant.
Self care means nothing more than being at peace with oneself. Our body often sends us signals about what it wants and what it does not. I can objectively say that sugar is unhealthy, yet I still eat it. Over time, through such examples, I have realized that there comes a moment when you need to listen to yourself. Mind and intellect function in completely different ways. What we want from the outside does not satisfy us internally. In my view, this is an important realization if we want to understand ourselves better. Self care means that even when you consciously make a decision that is not the best, you are still able to live with yourself afterward. And that takes practice. I have come to realize on my own that nothing is set in stone. "Our society makes many rules and promises, but if these are not kept at the end of the day, we are the ones who have to live with the consequences."
Organization follows naturally from this. Because if we have the ability for self care, we also have the ability for organization. Someone who practices self care on a daily basis got structure. Integrating and respecting daily routines shapes you both personally and professionally. Organization in professional life provides stability and clear role allocation, but also control.
I could have chosen the title differently, but the real link is control. Control over oneself, one's daily life and one's life as a whole. Loss of control is one of the most painful realizations that make up human suffering. Extremists would say everyone fights for themselves. People with empathy would rather say everyone fights alongside those they get along with. That sounds better, because it is not about going it alone, but about a healthy relationship with oneself. Healthy interaction with the outside world begins within.
In recent years, I have learned that life itself cannot be controlled. What we can influence is its continuation. I've always been a future oriented person, but I've learned that it makes more sense to influence the present. If I constantly rely on phrases like "I hope it will get better or I hope things will change...", I am betraying myself. Someone who is strong on the inside does not seek protection from the outside, because they do not need it.