This Year’s Best Glow-Up Is the One You Give Away

When most of us hear “self-care,” we picture massages, yoga retreats, or that very full glass of wine we definitely earned. For years, that was my version too: some extra gym time or a manicure.

A recent Wall Street Journal essay by Rebecca Heiss landed with this line: "In a world obsessed with self-optimization and individual wellness solutions, the most radical act might be the simplest one: noticing when someone else needs help, and then providing it." She wrote, “We’re all carrying invisible stressors. We’re also all potential sources of relief for one another.” 

And that was a light-bulb moment, maybe the glow-up isn’t always about me, it’s about you.

The usual self-care toolkit can feel like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. That renewal only lasts for so long and so the emptiness persists, keeping us searching for ways to feel productive, impactful, useful again in this new chapter.

But the best days aren't the ones always spent on ourselves. They're the ones where we help a friend untangle a work problem over lunch, talk through someone's big idea on a long walk, or finally have time to volunteer for causes that matter.

The irony runs deep. The most fulfilling moments in business life were always about lifting others up: coaching talent, mentoring associates, watching people exceed their own expectations, creating joyful excitement for audiences. But we filed that under "work," not "wellness."

It wasn’t until I stepped away from the nonstop production grind that I realized where my energy really comes from - being available for others. Now I can have that glass of wine with a friend while we ideate over her new business plan.  Is there anything more gratifying than knowing you helped someone else?  That’s when I feel most lit up.

So here is a thought as we head into the season of gratitude and giving. In a world obsessed with optimizing ourselves, maybe the boldest act of self-care is looking outward. Less me-time. More we-time. Especially when we are searching for what comes next.

What if your next pivot starts with asking: Who can I help today?

From your biggest champion,
Nicole