April Scott is the Head of Operations at Portt, an intelligent source-to-contract and supplier management platform.

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What does self-care mean to you?

As someone who naturally puts the needs of others before my own, it took me many years to understand the importance of self-care.

For me, it means looking after my mind, body and spirit, which gives me the ability to show up as my best self for the people and activities I care about. We talk openly about self care at home too, and I try to model a positive relationship with rest and recuperation for my children.

How do you know when you’re feeling stressed or burnt out?

I’ve learned to pay attention to the warning signs for me, and the key one is feeling like I need to “pause” the world for a couple of days so I can get back on top of things. This is a good sign that I’m overloaded, stressed, or approaching burnout.

Do you have a regular self-care routine? If so, what does it look like?

I ensure I get daily exercise in, feed my body well, and do the things that bring me peace. This may be relaxing activities like reading and yoga, or it could be organising/cleaning or working on a home improvement project.

I also have a set routine of key self-care or “pause” moments throughout the week to ensure I take the time. Our family calendar regularly features “Thai in the tub Tuesday” and self care Saturday” in the ‘Mum’ column!

What bumps you off your self-care routine and how do you get back on course?

Anything that disrupts the usual flow can result in de-prioritising self-care activities. Getting sick or having a sick child, work travel, or grinding out a big project, exam/assessment week for study, etc.

Where do you go for inspiration, ideas or tools for self-care?

I don’t know that I have a particular source, self-care is different for everybody.

What do you think you need to improve in terms of your self-care practice?

Consistency is key for me, scheduling it in helps me to prioritise, though it is still the first thing to go when life gets busy. I’d really like to improve on staying on track regardless of the circumstances.

Before you go…

Self-Care is our new interview series exploring the different self-care routines and habits of people from all walks of life. Get in touch with us today if you’d like to talk about your self-care routine.