Self-Care: A Bufferchat Recap

This week during #bufferchat, we opened up and explored how we can better support ourselves, manage stress, increase happiness and more, through self-care. Read on to discover all of the wonderful tips and advice shared by the #bufferchat community!

Catch our weekly Twitter chat, #bufferchat, every week on Wednesdays, 9 am PT/Noon ET/5 pm UTC, for valuable industry insights and networking with nearly 400 other smart marketers and community managers. It’s a fun time!

What does self-care mean for you, in your life?

From the community:

• ” Self-care means being tuned in to my physical, mental, and emotional states, and knowing when one needs some love.” @eccushing
• “Self-care, for me, involves both challenging myself and giving myself room to fail. But also, bubblebaths.” @marvydarling
• “To me, it means managing my energy levels instead of focusing on the number of hours in a day.” @thepaultucker
• “It means to be kind to myself, to do what I love, and to take care of my mind, body, and soul in general.” @itsJSD
• “Self-care is as important as taking care of your community. You’re no good to others if you aren’t good to yourself.” @danielleirogers

See all the great answers to question 1 here!

What’s your favorite self-care activity or practice – something you do just for you?

From the community:

• “Mindfulness (10 min) /day. Taking time to go 4 a walk with my dogs. Singing out loud (preferably at home), a good podcast.” @ZalkaB
• “One of my fave self-care activity has to be taking time out to socialise with friends – as I work alone as a freelancer :)” @KatLoughrey
• “Curl up with a good book and a gigantic cup of coffee or, on the other end of the spectrum, workout.” @baileyludlam
• “I’ve started a daily practice of walking and noticing. No smartphones. ? Just smile and walk.” @thepaultucker
• “For me it’s running. Something I do every day. It keeps me energized and motivated.” @IRunThingsMarko

See all the great answers to question 2 here!

How does self-care impact your personal life and/or work life?

From the community:

• “I find that talking to my friends once a day the old fashioned way, on the phone or in person, helps keep me sane and happy.” @HanWinslow
• “Self-Care is a reflection of how you will impact your work life You need to be clear, focused…within yourself for #success.” @Troy_Sandidge
• “When I take care of my own emotional/physiological/spiritual needs, I feel so much more productive.” @izzydoesizzy
• “It helps me relax and realize the world will not end…unless the Death Star in on the horizon :)” @joegill88
• “Without taking care of sleep and so on, the candle burns down. Mistakes made. Bad judgement.” @calgarydreamer

See all the great answers to question 3 here!

What gets in the way of you taking the time you need to recharge?

From the community:

• “I’ve just started my own business and I just don’t have enough time. I never seem to have time for myself.” @NoOrdinaryRenee
• “When you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished the tasks you set out to do, it’s difficult to walk away for a break.” @InHerSight
• “I have a tendency to dig my heels in and not let up until I think I’ve done it all. It’s something I’m working on.” @sola_eclipses
• “Social norms. Finding that balance point where you say no to others to make time for yourself is incredibly difficult.” @kiriappeee
• “Switching to “off.” Finding the energy to recharge can be difficult as well. The gym doesn’t always sound great.” @AndrewMC_2

See all the great answers to question 4 here!

What routines have you established to help keep you on track with your own self-care?

From the community:

• “TRY: A daily #bucketlist. Fill a jar of things u should do 4 yourself daily. Reach in when u wake up & stick to it!” @DeeSpeciale
• “Taking in the CO scenery every morning on my way into work. Gets me pumped up for the day.” @socialeyze
• “When I get home at the end of the day I give myself an hour to do what I want… No self-judging :D” @optimizemybrand
• “Do Not Disturb mode is my friend. I have it set from 10 pm until 6 am every night, when I work out, and when I’m heads down.” @paige_sandhu
• “I did start a routine of #planning & starting each day w/ meditation before engagement.” @ShereesePubHlth

See all the great answers to question 5 here!

What are your favorite blogs or books related to wellness?

From the community:

• “@mindbodygreen is my absolute favorite wellness blog. So many wonderful resources, especially for women.” @lawlitta
• “Favourites include @lauraagarwilson‘s blog & @gretchenrubin‘s book Better Than Before (about habits).” @teamtwobees
• “Eckhart Tolle, Stillness Speaks; Deepak Chopra, Perfect Health; Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention.” @kymberlaine
• “Can’t go past @zen_habits & @tferriss for great tips! @cloudpeeps‘ blog shares great health tips for freelancers too!” @KatLoughrey
• “What The Buddha Taught is my go-to for when I’m feeling too much stress.” @LizLazzara

See all the great answers to question 6 here!

Going into 2016, what’s one goal you’d like to set for your own care and self-improvement?

From the community:

• “I vow to make sure I get enough sleep at night and keep working on learning Hindi.” @techmarketeratl
• “There are SO MANY! I’ll like to practice mindfulness every single day & live in the now. Seize every moment!” @sabcruzb
• “2016 Resolution: More positive DOING; less negative WORRYING.” @Andrew7000
• “Set aside more time for my yoga practice. #namaste” @alyssa_marriee
• “Learn how to say no! It is crucial for my well being to be able to say no once in a while!” @mirrenduh

See all the great answers to question 7 here!

—

Thank you so much to our amazing community for participating in this great chat!

Catch #bufferchat each Wednesday at 9 am Pacific/noon Eastern. Join our new Slack community with over 1,000 members to continue these awesome conversations all week long!

Do you have any comments or answers to these questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

Image sources: UnSplash