True Story: Self-Care

A Leader’s Mindset on Making Time for Self-Care

Pat just completed a 10-week wellness challenge at work. She was able to shift her mindset about both exercise and nutrition in small ways that made a big impact.

She made big strides for herself, and as a leader in both her organization and her family. Here’s how a flexible hybrid format with structure and accountability baked into the experience provided her with just the right nudges and framework for making sustainable changes that further spread via the ripple effect.

“Mindset changes are important: how I perceive exercise.”

“With BodyCamp I was sometimes getting in my workout at 7 o’clock. There were times when I was cooking, I would put something in the oven and everything is done, and I could exercise while waiting for dinner.

The mindset is, ‘It doesn’t matter how little time or where I’m at, I can still exercise.’

I could also exercise when I was in Jamaica. I went to Jamaica twice! I was able to exercise there, I was walking around the house with my bands and having a lot of fun!”

On Nutrition

Although it wasn’t a primary focus for the challenge, a tiny nudge about nutrition nudged Pat to explore her relationship with food as well as exercise.

“[The challenge] addressed food, about having a certain amount of carbs and proteins, fats and vegetables on the plate – the importance of protein on the plate. That is when I actually stopped and said, “I am eating too little protein.” I started challenging myself to start putting more protein on my plate. Even if I wasn’t very hungry at that time, I was making sure I was getting enough protein. What I did with that challenge, the picture I submitted to body camp, I sent it to all my siblings and said to them this is what your plate should look like. Every now and again, I’ll call my daughter and ask, “Are you eating enough protein?” So I’ve really increased my protein.”

I really liked the challenge because it addressed my relationship with food. Because my relationship with food is carbs, and sugar, and so switching [my focus] to protein has really helped me.”

final thoughts on the challenge

“I liked that employees were getting in their exercises and getting to their goals.”

Patricia Anderson Wieck, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CLRP
Director, Human Resources; Title VI Coordinator
City of Beaverton