Simple, yet so difficult. What do you need?
✉️ Originally shared in my November newsletter 2025— now available here for easy access and sharing.
Simple, yet so difficult. What do you need?
3 principles of taking care of yourself in busy periods
Last week, I gave a presentation about our most important resource, the brain, and how often we forget to treat it like one. As a freelancer, one of my biggest priorities is to take care of myself first. Because if I don’t feel good, my business doesn’t work.
Funny thing is, that should be true for everyone.
Still, it’s easy to forget. Other people’s needs and urgent tasks often take over.
So, what if we shifted focus back to ourselves?
That’s when the tricky question comes: What do I need?
For me, that’s never been a simple one. Sometimes I don’t even know what I need, and when I do, it’s not always easy to say no to things that stand in the way.
I often I need to remind myself that taking care of myself is not something I do after I’ve managed everything else. It’s the foundation that allows me to manage everything else.
So this month, I’m practicing not doing more but keeping focus on the essentials and letting that be enough. And at the end of the week, these are the things I’m proud of if I’ve managed them.
Here is my feel good principles. Maybe my list can inspire you. But most important is to ask yourself, what do you need?
My feel good principles
💤 Sleep, movement, and good food
These are first things I tend to skip when life gets busy, when they’re actually the most important. So I plan them in first. When do I excercise. What do I need to get a good night sleep. And by “good food,” I mean regular meals that keep your energy steady, not sugar highs and crashes.
🕰️ Not maximized time
When the calendar is full, I need unplanned time even more. A weekend or a few hours with no goals, no deadlines, no expectations just doing things at my own pace. So I say No to things.
🌬️ Breathing
My best in-between go-to. Close your eyes. Take a minute. Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4. Continue. Calming your breath calms your body, even one minute can make a difference.
Whats on my radar
🛠️ Inner Development Goals. I’ve recommended this before. But the IDG framework now has a new name and improved themes and skills. It’s now called the Inner Development Guide. A powerful reminder that to change the world, we first need to change ourselves. The updated framework offers practical tools to help both individuals and organizations cultivate the mindsets and behaviors needed for a more sustainable and conscious future.
🎧 Mel Robbins podcast. 12 Minutes to a Better Brain.
For those of you who joined my recent talk about the brain, and for those who missed it but are curious, this episode is right on theme. Mel Robbins talks with neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha about how we can train our brain for better attention.
