Intellectual Self Care
Last week’s focus was on self-care practices for the Mind. Intellect is the ability to use one’s mind creatively. It is the way we draw the power of our minds for a purposeful living. Many times, the demands of daily life and hectic schedules put us on the treadmill of mundane living. Lost between the mundane chores is the purpose of one’s living. Intellectual self-care practices are ways one can bring back meaning and purpose to life. So what are the things one can actively do to care for one’s intellect?
Setting goals
One can realize a purposeful life by setting goals for self..either personal goals or professional goals. One area where community members of Her Second Innings can set a goal is for a career comeback. One way of setting goals for success is by setting SMART goals. A goal is a smart goal if it is
S – Specific, where the goal is well defined.
M – Measurable, where at any point one can measure their progress
A- Attainable, if the goal is realistically achievable
R – Relevant, when the goal aligns with your wants
T – Time-Bound, the time to achieve the goal is stated
Instead of a goal that is to get back to work, a SMART goal would be to clear 5 mock interviews in the next 30 days as a part of your effort to get back to work. Setting goals is your first step to realize goals.
Pursuit of learning
Challenging yourself through new learnings is an intellectual self-care practice. Self-growth happens through active, focused, and reflective learning. The pandemic has drastically opened access to learnings. http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses lists 1500 free courses from top universities with subjects ranging from architecture to artificial intelligence. Quoting author Brian Herbert, “The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The. willingness to learn is a choice.” Learning includes varied other forms such as learning about self, learn by doing, reading, observing, hearing, and also learning by teaching. Put on your learning hats and choose to be a life long learner.
Intellectual fun
Intellectual self-care doesn’t have to be all work and no play. It can be in the form of a game with children such as with Jenga Blocks or a game of I Spy. Puzzles such as Scrabble, Sudoku, crosswords, floor puzzles, and brain teasers improve your focus and boosts brain activity while being fun at the same time. Reading for pleasure is a great way to unwind yet can be a self-care activity to improve your comprehension and communication skills.
Personal change and growth is a self-motivated and continuous process. Discover a favorite Intellectual self-care practice that stimulates your mind and is also fun and engaging. Making a habit of practicing them is a sure way towards personal success!!
About the Author
Jennifer Moses is a Career Guidance Coach at HerSecond Innings and a Counseling Psychologist based out of Bangalore. HSI community members can reach her by making at appointment at Coaching.
Her Second Innings supports women professionals on a sabbatical in their journey of getting back to work. The mission of HSI is to guide women to achieve financial independence. Support from HSI comes in the form of job interviews, reskilling programs in Automation and, free Career Guidance Counselling. Sign up with us and complete your profile to get a call from our counselors to know your job fit.
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