16. How to practice self-care when you don’t have proper support from others

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to focus on self-care practices, however, I recognize that many women face real challenges in accessing the resources and support needed to prioritize their mental health.  For some, it is having unrealistic expectations at work, while others have a lack of support from loved ones in their personal lives and some do not have the financial security to take time off from work to honor their mental health. 

In this episode, I share some examples from my own experience and from women that I’ve worked with to highlight the challenges and offer some solutions that may be available to women who are struggling with prioritizing their self-care needs when they don’t have the support they need from loved ones and at work. 

Here are the key takeaways: 

• In our personal lives, it can be challenging to prioritize self-care due to a lack of support from loved ones when it comes to helping with household chores, and tasks, and taking care of others. 

• In our professional lives, it can be challenging to prioritize self-care due to unrealistic expectations, inflexible schedules, and a lack of mental health resources available. 

• Setting boundaries and having uncomfortable conversations may need to happen in order to protect your peace and create space for you to tend to your mental health. 

• Expectations from others and policies at work should be considerate of the current state of stress, overwhelm, and burnout that many women are faced with and offer more support, grace, flexibility, and resources. 

• If you are in the position to help a woman who needs support - pick up her kids after school so she can go to therapy without stressing out or talking to HR to offer mental health resources or even pay to have someone clean your friend’s home or deliver some groceries - it could make a big difference.  

Resources: 

• Stress-Free Success for Professional Women Guide - Free resource to help professional women with busy schedules and demanding roles & responsibilities reduce stress, prevent burnout, and increase productivity.  Click Here

• Make Time For Your Mental Health Webinar - Virtual training for Professional Women struggling with stress and burnout. In this 60-minute session, you will learn how to assess your stress responses, simple strategies for managing stress, and easy-to-implement self-care practices that will fit into a busy schedule. Click Here. 

About Allison Tibbs

Allison Tibbs is a certified Healthy Lifestyle Coach & Corporate Wellness Strategist, as well as an International Speaker and Best Selling Author, who is in the business of helping female executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders achieve a better quality of life.

Her passion for helping women prioritize their physical and mental health stemmed from her own struggles with depression, anxiety, and burnout. She leads by example and pays it forward through her coaching, training, and speaking business - Nourished Life Coaching & Consulting. To learn more, visit www.AllisonTibbs.com