We all know when we are under the weather, not feeling like ourselves, shocked out of our Crocs by the latest insane news cycle, freaked out over the weather or having a work crisis, we might simply need a little TLC. How we handle this self-love varies greatly from person to person. Self medicating is a good way to bounce back quickly depending on what ails you.
Some people medicate with food. A little snick snack is sure to cure the afternoon crash on a tough Monday after back-to-back calls for instance, right? And on a Friday at the stroke of 5pm or before, you might see gaggles of gals gathered around a happy hour hot spot to blow off some steam and celebrate the end of the work week.
Golfers might hit the links early on a Friday to get a quick round in before the start of a busy weekend. Many Moms celebrate not cooking for their families by going out for dinner. (All hail.) Some take to protesting to make themselves feel like they aren’t just sitting back and listening to the news cycle but instead are actively playing a part in doing something to change it. And some people will try almost anything to get rid of an illness. Look at all the wacky shit on this perfectly curated list…
Are you still laughing about number 4? I actually thought 8 was funny too because it was just one yoga and not a whole class. Anyway, we all look for some sort of escapism when we need a break. And then many of us look for justification for indulging in that form of self medication. The graph below perfectly illustrates the concept.
Now you know you squinted to see each number because I saw you, and I did the same thing! Some people are so clever. You’ve got to admire them. But the thing is, you don’t have to justify needing a break or taking time off, or staring out the window, or binge watching your favorite guilty pleasure show or buying yourself something (or things) that are nice. We are not robots! We cannot perform at full capacity all the time. We need to recharge, refuel and relax so that we have the mental acuity and strength to refocus and persevere. I thought this graph was even funnier and sadly true.
I was recently at a women’s conference and mentioned during my panel that I had little to no help as I came up in the world as a young, ambitious professional. And I had so many tough roles! I was so fortunate to have one terrific mentor (thanks, Nick) but the majority of my bosses were arrogant, self-important, ego-centric, old school thinking men. I was either intimidating to them (which makes me laugh) or colored too far outside of the lines for them to embrace my modern and innovative sales and marketing techniques even though they proved hugely successful time after time. So at this conference, a young woman raised her hand during the Q&A portion and plainly asked, “If nobody helped you Jen, why do you feel compelled to help others?” Wow. What a question.
The short answer is that it pains me to see others suffer if they can benefit at all from any of my experiences. And one of the perks of being a seasoned leader is to look back and guide, advise, positively influence, empower and promote wherever you can. So I’m all too happy to chat up younger folks about what challenges they face, especially women. Because although the workforce is teaming with smart chicks, most of the current leadership landscape is still dominated by men imploring an out of date, patriarchal mentality. And if anyone can learn a tip, trick, mantra, or helpful quote from my trials and tribulations to feel better about themselves and carve a new path to success, there is an inherent sense of accomplishment for me. Helping someone else helps me and I’m all too happy to give back.
Did you see the amazing Sci-Fi movie called Lucy with Scarlett Johansen and Morgan Freeman? If you didn’t it’s a great flick. Basically, Lucy accidentally ingests a large dose of CPH4, a synthetic drug which mimics the hormone pregnant women produce in their first trimester that allows babies to develop. According to the movie it’s the most powerful substance on earth. I won’t spoil how cool it is to watch her rapidly unlock portions of her brain capacity, eventually reaching a state where she can control matter and energy, but the special effects are great and the concept of this transition is thought provoking.
The point the movie makes, without it being a spoiler alert, is that those who gain knowledge have an obligation to pass it on. I am not just a big fan of this idea, I actively participate in the sharing of learning. And part of my self medicating journey is to ease the pain of MY younger self by helping people who struggle now. It’s an ode to the younger me.
jenslittleblackbook.com 