As a women’s empowerment expert and social entrepreneur, Claudia Chan's life passion is to help women unlock their limitless potential in career and life, because she believes when women do better, the world does better. Here's some of Chan's best advice about what self-care is and how you can weave it into your life -- every day.
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2. Claudia Chan is the CEO and Founder of S.H.E. Globl
Media Inc., the multi-platform women’s empowerment
media company behind the renowned global women’s
conference, S.H.E. Summit.
As a women’s empowerment expert and social
entrepreneur, Claudia's life passion is to help women
unlock their limitless potential in career and life,
because she believes when women do better, the world
does better.
MEET CLAUDIA CHAN!
3. Claudia recently answered
questions about self-care from
members of Connect:
Professional Women's Network.
Here's some of her most
popular advice.
4. How do you hold yourself accountable to your self-care goals? Cultivating good
habits doesn't happen overnight. Be easy on yourself if you don't follow through on
all your commitments. Feeling bad about what we didn't follow through on is the
opposite of self-care. The results of all your energy (work, family, to-do lists etc.) are
reliant on your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. If you burn out or end up
unhappy, it will undermine all that hard work.
6. SMALL STEPS
TOWARD SELF-CARE:
• A 5-min meditation in the morning, breathing in
the huge value your health has to your life goals
• Just moving more (desk breaks, anything that
speeds up heart rate)
• Be mindful that you are what you eat
• Add calendar invites for morning rituals
• Journal your successes, gratitude or what you
discover that makes you feel good
7. How do you fit in a health routine
while juggling multiple jobs, a
commute and family? Give
yourself credit where it's due.
Write out your weekly schedule
and look for crevices of 5 to 15
minutes where you can squeeze in
fitness (even if it's just stretching)
and connecting with your body.
Meditation is great for your
mindfulness, state of gratitude and
sense of achievement in your
commitment to making your
entrepreneurial dream happen!
8. How can corporations include self-care as part of their culture? Companies
are made up of individuals. The organization must implement better policies in
line with their values and mission in order to grow and succeed. These include
flex hours, working off site, workshops/speakers that teach topics that effect
well-being, maternity/paternity leave and outings for social good. This is just
some of what I see in a perfect world!
9. How can I take care of myself when I’m clashing with senior leadership over
the new direction of the company? Practice the mantra obstacles create
opportunities. This experience is exercising your resilience, patience and creativity!
It’s a sign to either find a way to confront management or start looking for a new
job where the leadership direction will be aligned with your values, passions and
goals. Get clear on what you want and what action to take to get there.
10. How do you find time for self-care
when travelling? If you want to add
more to the diet/exercise routine, you
can:
• Use your laptop to take an class in
your hotel room (try YogaGlo.com,
Tracy Anderson or Physique57).
• Opt in for greens, good proteins and
fruits for earlier meals so you can
splurge more at dinner (earlier the
better).
• For cocktails, opt for a glass of red
wine or premium vodka with club
soda + lime.
11. “The most successful
people repeatedly put
themselves in uncomfortable
situations. Put all of that
frustrated energy towards
envisioning solutions and
new possibilities.”
12. Physical challenges are forcing me to go slow.
How can I get rid of the guilt I feel for taking
time for myself? Physical challenges and injuries
are the universe's way of forcing you to pause
and reflect on what needs to change. This is the
only body you have and taking this time is a
critical investment. Create the space to take
care of yourself and reflect on what you want
and what matters most!
13. Remember that imperfection is
perfection. Life is not a straight
line; we're meant to fall off
routines and, as we experience
dips and turns, we want to be
mindful of what new things we
are learning about ourselves.
14. I've started a business with a friend. How can we balance our individual self-care and care
for our start-up? If you’re less than a year into the startup, this is great time to evaluate
how well you work together, roles, and the culture including work/life balance. Have a
company 1-day retreat in a zen-like place to discuss the state of your partnership. I
recommend all partnerships do this at least a few times/year. Together you can be
creative about the schedule/resources needed to customize a work-week that serves
both of your personal and business needs.
15. How can I maintain great self-care and high energy through a career
transition? Write a personal mission statement on what you want for
your future and allow it to evolve and edit it as you grow. It will ground
you and get you clear on what you want/the woman you want to
become more of in this beautiful life!
16. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS:
With risk comes reward.”
Positive attitude creates positive
results.”
Every meeting is an opportunity to
teach and learn.”
We can only become what we
BELIEVE.”
17. Any advice for caring for myself
during a frustrating job search?
Put all that stress/worry/
negative energy towards
envisioning new ways to find a
job. Leverage all relationships,
tools like LinkedIn and job sites
like TheMuse.com, LevoLeague
and Indeed. Find firms you want
to work for and outreach. Follow
job experts, bloggers and
forums––but don't spend any
energy on that which does not
serve your goals.
18. After all these years in my industry, I’m actually getting bored. Any suggestions
for how I can bring back the excitement I used to feel? I would do some soul
searching on what you're missing. Is it lack of purpose or passion? Could you be
fulfilled by an outside project or activity? Work to understand what you want. Let
your heart guide you here and dream BIG when you do it. If it’s time for a change,
align your dream with your skills and network. Then create a plan to make the leap.