Leila Oliveira is a startup consultant and senior account executive at leading global investment platform Wholesale Investor.

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1) What does self-care mean to you?

Self-care for me is being present, aware of how I’m feeling and intentionally doing something about it. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to self-care and it all depends on the day. Sometimes it can mean going for a workout, and sometimes skipping your workout and staying in bed reading a book. 

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

1. When I’m overthinking a situation instead of acting on it;

2. When a completely unrelated topic or conversation triggers me and provokes a reaction that I wouldn’t normally have. 

It doesn’t happen really often with me and I assume it’s because of my habits, good relationships and daily meditation. When you’re at peace with your life, what happens externally does not trigger you as much. (focus on AS MUCH, because it still affects me hahaha)

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

I follow a morning routine every single day. When I don’t, the day feels weird! haha 

Essentially consists of movement + meditation + a good laugh with family or friends. It doesn’t matter how I’m feeling, I know that by the end of any of these three, I’ll be feeling happier. 

What helped me to start:

• Organise everything the night before. You don’t wanna make decisions at 5:30 in the morning 
• Meditate first thing in the morning. Check how you’re feeling, and observe what thoughts come up. Be grateful for what you have.
• Don’t even think about going for a workout or not- just go. Most days you won’t feel motivated to go, but you always feel better after a good session. 
• Add one habit at a time. It’s hard to stick to too many things at once. Maybe start by waking up 10 min earlier and go from there. 

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

My self-care/morning routine it’s a really good part of my life, so it isn’t a struggle for me to follow. From 5:30 to 8 in the morning is the time I can do whatever makes me happy.

If I feel too tired to work out, I’d go for a walk instead for example. As long as I don’t miss two days on a roll, it’s fine. If you read atomic habits, you know what I’m talking about. 

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

Normally podcasts (the Huberman Lab is my favourite), books (Think Like a Monk, Atomic Habits), and social media such as Instagram and YouTube. I know we talk a lot about the negative impacts of social media, but it plays a really good role to connect with like-minded people, look for inspiration and stay focused on your goals.

Obviously, take everything you see online with a pinch of salt, just incorporate whatever is realistic for you and your routine and don’t compare your life to others.  

Before you go…

Self-Care is a content 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.