16/07/2026
SMALL THINGS THAT MATTER – SELF CARE EDITION
This week I celebrated another trip around the sun.
Rather than squeezing in "just one more meeting" or "just one more email," I made a different decision.
I took a few days off, not for a holiday, not for a big adventure.
Just... to look after me!!
Well... that's only partly true. I also somehow found myself dressed as a giant red M&M at the Taupō Possum Night Run! 🍬😂
Along the way, I finally booked those appointments I'd been putting off for months (hello eye test 👓), enjoyed a massage, spent quality time with my family, laughed with great friends, and slowed down for a few days.
It reminded me of something we often forget.
We schedule interviews.
We schedule performance reviews.
We schedule deadlines.
We make time for our teams, our clients and our whānau.
But how often do we schedule time for ourselves?
As HR professionals, we're often the ones encouraging others to take leave, prioritise their wellbeing and find balance. Sometimes, we need to take our own advice.
I've realised that taking care of yourself isn't stepping away from your work. It is investing in how you show up when you return.
The emails will still be there.
The meetings will still happen.
The world doesn't stop because you took a breath.
Here's to another year around the sun, a little older, a little wiser (maybe!), and hopefully remembering that looking after ourselves isn't a luxury it's part of doing our best work.
Small things.
They really matter. 💛
