Self-care is trending now more than ever because more people realize the importance of developing and maintaining regular habits for holistic well-being. While many people associate self-care practices primarily with physical health, self-care is holistic. Because mentorship helps individuals with holistic self-improvement, it should be part of everyone’s arsenal for personal and professional development. Let’s review: What is self-care and why it’s important Who takes time for self-care and why some people don’t Mentorship as self-care Making mentorship part of your self-care routine
What is self-care and why it’s important
Self-care is any set of actions aimed at maintaining or improving one's own overall well-being. Any activities and practices that you engage in regularly for short- and long-term health and well-being can be considered self-care.
Even though self-care covers a wide range of activities, 74% of people in the U.S. associate self-care with taking care of the body or their physical health (Source). More specifically, 47% of people saying an at-home spa ritual is the first thing they think of when they think of self-care (Source). Skin care and diet are especially popular word clusters one study found when examining online discourse surrounding self-care (Source).
Of course, self-care is more than just spa treatments and gym routines. Holistic self-care includes a range of practices that cultivate emotional, spiritual, and professional well-being.
Self-care helps us relax. Adults in the U.S. only feel relaxed for 40 minutes a day, and 47% of adults feel relaxed less than that (Source). 75% of people in the U.S. believe self-care activities provide stress relief (Source).
When we feel more relaxed, we feel better overall. In fact, 71% of people saw an increase in happiness from self-care (Source), 64% of people saw a self-confidence boost from self-care (Source), and 67% of people saw increased productivity from self-care (Source).
Self-care can also help prevent burnout, which we can all experience. Gen Z is most likely to experience burnout at 73%, while millennials are at 57%, Gen X at 54%, and boomers at just 39% (Source).
The World Health Organization recommends self-care as a preventative measure to save on individual and systemic health-care costs (Source).
As we’ll see below, the same benefits of general self-care listed above can also be achieved through mentorship as a self-care practice.
Who takes time for self-care and why some people don’t
An overwhelming 97% of people in the U.S. think self-care is important (Source). On average, people in the U.S. take 16 hours of time for self-care every month (Source).
Not so surprisingly, many of us make time on the weekends for self-care because of the Monday to Friday work schedules that many professionals keep. 72% of people with self-care practices use them as a reward after a long week on Sundays (Source).
Of those who do make time for regular self-care, only 10% do so daily, 33% weekly, 29% monthly, 10% every 3 months, and 18% less than every three months. (Source)
One of the biggest reasons that people don’t take time for self-care is because they don’t make time for it, despite how essential it is.
Often, we set aside time for self-care only as a restorative measure, rather than as regular self-maintenance and preventative care. Only 30% of Americans set aside time for self-care beforehand, rather than only when it’s absolutely needed (Source). And, 59% of people only practice self-care when they’re stressed, instead of as a daily habit (Source).
Most of us feel stressed at least several times a week, if not multiple times a day. So, establishing self-care strategies to mitigate unavoidable stress in all areas of life is key. Most people feel stressed daily or weekly if not several times per day or week. 26% of people feel stressed more than once a day (Source)!
Guilt is one of the other largest factors limiting people from establishing regular self-care routines. Because we have so many competing priorities in life, some people may also feel guilty about setting aside time, energy, and resources to invest in themselves – so they don’t.
25% of people feel guilty about practicing self-care. Interestingly, men feel less guilt (20%) compared to women (24%) about investing in self-care.
Finances can also impact people’s access to certain self-care techniques. 52% of people said their finances impacted their ability to invest in self-care (Source). Perhaps because the majority associate self-care with physical treatments, they assume that there has to be a physical cost with self-care.
Family and relationships can also impact people’s ability to make time for self-care. 42% of single individuals make space for me time, compared to 30% of people in relationships (Source). Child-care can also take up time and resources that individuals might otherwise invest in self-care. Only 32% of parents have time for self-care, and 39% feel guilty about taking that time (Source).
Mentorship as self-care
The World Health Organization, which has stated that self-care is essential for preventative care, defines two kinds of self-care: self-care action and self-care interventions. Self-care interventions, the WHO says, “are the evidence-based tools that support self-care. They include quality medicines, devices, diagnostic, and digital tools. Now is an exciting time with more and more tools being developed” (Source).
According to the WHO’s definitions, mentorship through Uptnoch™, which provides a single platform to set goals and track their progress, is a form of self-care intervention.
The benefits of general self-care practices above can be achieved through mentorship.
Maintain holistic health
A mentor can provide advice on maintaining physical, emotional, and mental health based on their own experiences. Having a mentor offers an additional layer of support, which is crucial for holistic health.
Personal growth
The core of every mentorship is a mentee’s personal growth, even if the mentor grows too through providing guidance. Mentors can help identify areas for improvement and guide you in developing new skills. Mentors can assist in setting realistic and achievable personal and professional goals, fostering growth.
Reduce stress
Mentors can offer solutions and strategies to handle stressful situations, reducing overall stress levels. Sharing your challenges with a mentor can alleviate stress by providing an outlet for your concerns.
Improve mental health
Mentors provide encouragement and positive reinforcement, which can boost mental health. A mentor can also offer a different perspective on your issues, helping you approach problems more effectively.
Improve focus and productivity Mentors help you stay accountable to your goals, which can improve focus and productivity. In addition, mentors can share effective time management and productivity techniques. That way, mentees can optimize strategies to achieve their goals.
Boost self-confidence
As you develop new skills with your mentor’s guidance, your confidence in your abilities grows. Positive feedback and validation from a mentor can significantly boost your self-confidence, too.
Greater self-awareness
Constructive feedback from a mentor helps you become more aware of your strengths and areas for improvement. Mentors often encourage self-reflection, leading to greater self-awareness.
Enhance relationships
By encouraging overall personal growth, mentors help you communicate better with yourself. Mentors can also help you develop better communication skills with others, enhancing your relationships. Finally, mentors can introduce you to new networks and help you build relationships in your personal and professional life.
Improved work-life balance
Mentors can help you prioritize tasks and manage your time, promoting a better work-life balance. Mentees can learn to set boundaries from a mentor to prevent work from encroaching on personal time.
Preventative care and prevent burnout Mentors can help you recognize the early signs of burnout. Mentors can also suggest preventative measures before their mentees’ pain points inhibit their growth in any way. Incorporating mentorship into your self-care routine not only provides practical guidance and support but also offers emotional and mental benefits that contribute to a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Making mentorship part of your self-care routine
In order to gain the maximum benefits from mentorship as a form of self-care, the practice needs to be just that – a practice. Here are some tips to help make mentorship part of your self-care routine. Make it official Many of us already receive guidance from trusted advisors. We may even think of some of them as mentors. But do those mentors know they’re your mentors? In order to make mentorship as effective as possible, make your mentorships official. Identify people in your orbit with qualities you admire, skills you want to develop, or experiences and insights that can benefit from you. Talk to them about your goals and why you think they could help you achieve them as a mentor. Mentorships can be short-term or long-term, depending on your needs. But, it’s important to make the mentorship official so that you can have a dedicated time and space for your self-improvement. Having an official relationship also allows you to stay accountable to yourself.
Upnotch allows you to find the right mentor for you or to have AI match you with the ideal mentor. Once you find mentors with the right experience, knowledge, skills, or insights you need to help you realize your goals, it’s easy to request a session. If your first session is productive, make it official! Then, grow your roster of mentors to develop a personal advisory board of experts in all areas where you need to excel.
Make it regular
No matter the length of your mentorship – be it over a weekend intensive workshop or over a lifetime – make your meetings regular. Just like making your relationship with your mentor official is important, so is setting a regular meeting cadence. Even if the relationship between a mentor and mentee only lasts several weeks, setting regular times to check-in in advance gives both parties a structure to make conversations the most effective possible. For many people, it may be helpful to make mentorship sessions at the same time every week. Even if it’s not with the same mentor, schedule time weekly for mentorship just like you would any other professional development activity. Since most people in the U.S. already devote 16 hours at least per month to self-care, devote a few of those to mentorship as self-care. You could even schedule mentorship sessions during the middle of the work week, explaining to your supervisors that mentorship is a cornerstone of your personal and professional development. But just like scheduling time monthly for a massage, or weekly to go to the gym, make mentorship a priority in your schedule.
Upnotch makes scheduling mentorship sessions easy for mentors and mentees. Both can easily input their availability to make meeting a breeze, even if you need to schedule a session last minute.
Set goals and track them
Through regular meetings with an official mentor, you can easily set goals and track them. Goals can be tailored to meet anyone’s individual needs. A mentor can help track a mentee’s skill development as well as how those skills translate into concrete, trackable results.
Perhaps an entrepreneur wants to seek mentorship from someone with strong business development experience in order to increase their portfolio of clients. The mentee might need to learn a certain number of related skills to help them meet their primary KPIs – the size of their client list and number of new sales.Upnotch is a single platform that allows mentors and mentees to connect, to set goals, and to track them easily all in one easy-to-use app.
Create a culture of change
Giving is just as important as getting. When we enter into mentorships, we are entering into a powerful relationship that can catalyze big change. Even though mentorships are focused primarily on the mentee’s personal development, mentors also grow through them.Being a mentor can be a powerful form of self-care because it allows mentors space to reflect on their own skills, experience, and insights. In taking stock of their accomplishments, mentors can feel proud of all they have achieved and what they can offer to their mentees.
Our unique experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives all contribute to our success. That includes success we’ve achieved in spite of obstacles. By sharing what we’ve learned throughout our long roads to success with mentees, we can make their paths easier. As mentors, we can help mentees get to their destinations faster. We can also explore new destinations in unchartered territory and create a culture of change.
Through Upnotch, you can search for a mentor or be mentor. Either way, you’re participating in a culture of change that has ripple effects in organizations, industries, communities, and beyond.
Join Upnotch
The easiest, most accessible way to make mentorship part of your self-care routine is to put it in the palm of your hand with Upnotch. With on-demand mentorship you can access anywhere, anytime – achieving your dreams has never been simpler.
The global network of mentors Upnotch includes professionals in all industries and all-levels. Whether you are just starting your career, making a career change, an entrepreneur launching your next big idea, or an executive who needs 11th hour advice, Upnotch creates ideal matches between mentees and mentors.
A session with the mentor with the exact experience and information you need is just a few taps away. Members can search for the right mentors by industry, experience level, affinity groups, and more.
Upnotch is also the easiest way to create a personal advisory board, giving you a panel of diverse perspectives in all areas to truly propel your personal growth.
Once you’ve met with your mentors and set up your board, it’s easy to set and track goals as per the WHO’s recommendation to use self-care systems that offer measurable results.
Because you can meet with your mentors anywhere, anytime – making mentorship part of your self-care routine couldn’t be easier. A session could be during your regular time for professional development during the work week, or cuddled up on the couch on a Sunday morning. Upnotch makes scheduling easy for mentors and mentees.
And, to make Upnotch accessible for everyone, the platform is free for all individuals to join.
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