The time commitment and work schedule of an administrative professional can vary from employer to employer and from executive to executive. What’s important is to not lose sight of nurturing and caring for your greatest asset—you!
It is no exaggeration that administrative professionals are being pulled in hundreds of different directions throughout the day. The world can be a busy place. Experienced administrative professionals can make the career look easy. However, the position can be exhausting if you don’t learn to take care of yourself first. When traveling by plane, we are reminded that if oxygen levels become unstable during flight, oxygen masks will drop in front of each passenger. Passengers are asked to secure their own mask first before assisting other passengers or children.
I was recently asked the question, “On a scale of 1-10 with 10 feeling very stressed, what number would you give yourself?” I said, “1.” This individual was shocked! He quickly jumped in and started naming off my responsibilities and commitments, recounting my long work days, and just kept going on and on. I said to this person, “You are correct, but that’s not how I see it. During the day, I have the privilege to work as an executive assistant where I can support the leadership serving a community filled with businesses and 68,000 residents. In the evenings, I have the opportunity to help educate America’s future workforce by helping college students to acquire skills necessary for today’s workplace. All the other commitments you listed, I see them as meaningful, making a difference, and fun! It’s all about perspective and making sure I do not lose sight of taking care of myself.”
Being able to support others at home and in the workplace begins with caring for yourself first. I don’t profess to be a personal wellness expert, but I know the tips listed below are proven to increase our overall health.
- Make better choices about what to eat. Proper nutrition can lead to more energy, overall better health, and increase your overall quality of life.
- Be physically fit. Being physically fit helps to manage stress and infuse your energy level.
- Get your Zzzz. Getting adequate sleep will help you to better concentrate and prevent illness.
- Spend time forming and nurturing relationships. Enjoy quality time forming and nurturing relationships with spouses/partners, family, friends, children, colleagues, neighbors, and others.
- Take a break. Working non-stop is not good for your overall health and can decrease productivity.
- Manage your time. Plan your day and how you will spend your time. A lack of planning can increase stress levels and the amount of time wasted throughout the day.
- Spend time learning. Increase mental stimulation by acquiring knowledge.
In 2015 let’s commit to taking greater responsibility for caring about our personal wellness so we can increase our overall quality of health to be our best self at home and in the workplace. What additional tips do you have?
This post really hits home! I have recently had a few health issues and realize that they are related to stress in my job. I have stepped back, put the priorities in order, and realized I can’t be all things to all people, but I CAN be the best ME I can be. I’m coming upon the end of my career and I believe that may have added a layer of stress. Instead, I’m stepping away, looking at what I can change, what I can’t, getting better control and now I feel so much better. I’ve also stepped back from the negative people in the office because we all know we just don’t need that. I feel I’m not back on track. Thanks so much for your posts as most as so relevant to what most EA’s and admins face daily.
Carole, thank you for sharing your comment. You said it very well, “I can’t be all things to all people, but I CAN be the best ME I can be.” I love that!