Megan Booty is the Head of People & Culture at Komodo, a platform that enables schools to build the best wellbeing strategies, measure their effectiveness and create the best possible environment for students.
What does self-care mean to you?
Self care for me means looking after myself, and putting myself first when I am starting to feel things build up or becoming overwhelming. In order for me to be the best version of myself, I need the space and ability to recharge, rest and just fill my cup back up.
How do you know when you’re feeling stressed or burnt out?
I think it can look different depending on the cause – but for the most part, I usually become quite exhausted and definitely have less patience for things and my concentration levels hit a low. Doing everyday tasks becomes much harder and everything feels more like a chore.
Do you have a regular self-care routine? If so, what does it look like?
I guess I would say yes I do have a regular routine, in the morning I like to have a coffee and just sit and enjoy it – and bonus if I can drink it while it’s hot juggling a 10 month old. I love being able to go out for walks with my daughter most days, we go via a local river – feed the ducks, walk past the chickens and end up at the park. It’s a nice way to take a pause, and enjoy the outdoors! Getting my hair done, having some time to go out by myself and grab a coffee and just enjoy the city.
What bumps you off your self-care routine and how do you get back on course?
I think with working full time, and being a parent it can be easy to focus on everything and everyone around you and forget about yourself. So I always ensure I have a couple times a week where I can just do something by myself that I really enjoy. It’s a conscious effort even when you don’t have the energy in the first place, but it’s such good practice for my mental health.
Where do you go for inspiration, ideas or tools for self-care?
I don’t think there is one place I would naturally go to, I do try to do what feels the most natural for me – and stick to what I know I enjoy and get lots of peace from.
What do you think you need to improve in terms of your self-care practice?
I think I need to become more consistent and have a couple of set times a week – I know I have time for myself – life gets busy and goes quickly, and other things take priority naturally so it’s easy to push yourself and your needs to the bottom of the list.
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