A few months ago, one of my professors in my graduate program challenged all of the interns to think about how they could transform supervision sessions into self-care. This concept knocked me hard upside the head – supervision was time for me to check in with my boss, to learn to do my work better, to get their insight, and maybe even to impress them a little. It was a one-on-one, so I brought my best game. And… it could be a time when I received kindness and took care of myself? That combination didn’t compute. 

Yet this professor was so right. Sure, the entire hour of supervision may not be squishy, sweet self-love, and certainly, my supervisor needed to be able to challenge me in that time. And, also, it could be a time when I identified my needs and asked for them to be met – a little acknowledgement for the hard work I was doing, a little support in a challenging situation, a little celebration for what was going well. Supervision could be an experience that filled me up.

And that experience prompted me to look at many different tasks differently. A long drive in traffic could also include a call with a supportive friend. A tedious phone call or webinar could include a walk or just sitting in the sun. A one-on-one with your boss could include you identifying what you need to feel or perform better and asking for it. 

Next time you are faced with a required activity you’re quietly dreading, ask yourself, “How could I make this self-care?” It may not transform the whole experience, but it will help you emerge a little fuller and certainly better off than if you had never asked the question!