Private Advisor Group conducted an open poll at the onset of 2022 and asked which resolution was top-of-mind for our thousands of followers in the new year. 44.6% replied that “self-care” would be their top focus.
What self-care practices should you employ? We tapped into our community of financial professionals to get self-care tips with a financial spin. Here’s what they shared.
Will Davis | Wealth Manager, Private Advisor Group | Columbia, IL
My self-care tip is to start from within, focusing on diet and exercise. About four years ago, I competed in a ‘biggest loser’ contest and lost close to 40lbs. I wasn’t really unhealthy but needed to embrace healthier habits. To date, I’ve been able to keep the weight off and can say the lifestyle change has benefitted my entire family. Here’s what worked for me:
- Intermittent Fasting: I worked a 16:8 fasting schedule. By not eating after 6-8 p.m., skipping breakfast, and eating at noon, I could feel that I was in ketosis and had a significant energy boost by not bogging myself down with large and unnecessary meals.
- Low carb, clean diet: simply reducing processed foods and carbs, and therefore surplus calories made a huge difference. Eating clean and a farm-to-table diet does cost more, but it’s well worth the investment. I like to think the small increase in groceries now will pay dividends by saving me on healthcare costs in the future.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT), CrossFit, and walks:
- HIIT – I mostly do several (50) burpees for time. My kids partake too, we break up the reps as a family and make it fun.
- CrossFit – pre-pandemic, I tried to do CrossFit 2-3 days a week. I haven’t picked it back up since.
- Walking – weather permitting, I walk 2-3 days a week for 2-3 miles.
Tiering this into finance, getting physically fit isn’t much different than becoming financially fit as the same principles apply: patience, consistency, and compounding results. Good health, like good finances, is a journey and it’s incredibly rewarding to help clients on their journey to financial well-being.
Stephanie McCullough | Founder & CEO, Sofia Financial | Berwyn, PA
Self-care is not just about bubble baths, Netflix, and ice cream. Sometimes the best care is taking time to do the things that you might be avoiding or find overwhelming. It’s addressing something that’s daunting now to help you reduce worry or stress in the future. Financial planning is one thing you can do today as an act of self-care that can help lessen your stress and increase your security in the future. You can hire a professional financial planner or sit down and evaluate how to better align money decisions to enhance your well-being.
To get started, I recommend finding someone you feel comfortable having money conversations with: a caring friend, a money buddy, or a financial planner. This person must be a trusted confidant – you want to feel comfortable getting financially naked with this individual.
From there, it’s important to get brave and look at your numbers to determine how they align with your values. Where are you spending? What are you saving? Where are your investments? Paying attention is step one! Hopefully, in conversation, you’ll start to see any areas of your financial life that need to be addressed, be it beefing up your cash reserves, funding your retirement accounts, or a bit more aggressively paying down debt. Take baby steps, build commitments, and set targets in terms of amounts but also timeframes. Sharing plans with your buddy can help you stay on track. It’s also an opportunity to ensure goals are realistic as smart money habits and corresponding moves often take time.
Money is emotional. It’s undeniable and yet rarely discussed. Financial stress can cause worry, fear and may even detract from work performance and relationships. That’s why getting your financials aligned with your priorities typically has an immensely positive impact on your self-care and overall well-being.
Kelly Coulter | Director of Marketing, Private Advisor Group | Phoenix, AZ
Albert Einstein once said: “Creativity is intelligence having fun!” The obstacles and opportunities we encounter in life and business require us to be problem solvers on the regular. And when time moves quickly, and decisions need to be made, unleashing a little curiosity, artistry, and creative energy helps those moments flow more seamlessly. My self-care tip is to unleash your creative self. Here are a few low-cost or no-cost ideas to make that happen:
- Draw, color, paint, sculpt or build – there’s a reason adult coloring books have surged in popularity. Tap into your inner childhood, relax and have fun.
- Read or write for fun – take your imagination to the new and unknown.
- Mix up your daily routine – perhaps skip-level team meetings to create opportunities for future leaders, take on a project outside of your typical responsibilities, or even redecorate or move your office setting to avoid the mundane and have a little freshness.
- Play music – if you’ve never played a pump-up track before an important meeting or presentation, I highly suggest it. Sing, whistle, play tunes, dance, or practice an instrument to release endorphins and destress.
- Experience nature – the colors, sounds, fresh air, peace, and beauty open a wide variety of emotional and physical benefits. Daydreaming in nature is one of my favorite places to be.
- Connect with people – creativity works in mysterious ways and most creatives gather inspiration and ideas when people watching or socializing in environments that elevate and uplift. Social interaction is essential to our well-being so make time to surround yourself with others.
Whether you’re getting financially naked, investing more in your internal health, or taking in nature’s raw beauty, you’ll never regret carving out time to become the best version of yourself. For more fun insights from our community, follow Private Advisor Group on social media: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook