"Grace in the Balance: Navigating a New Career and Self-Care After Cancer"

Starting a new career is always an exciting but challenging journey. For me, this new chapter comes after an 18-month hiatus from work due to breast cancer. While I’m eager to dive into my new role, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to juggle this new career alongside life coaching and my own self-care.

Exercise has always been a priority for me, but now it feels even more important in maintaining my physical and mental health after cancer. Yet, despite knowing its benefits, finding the time and energy for self-care is harder than I expected. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I can’t do everything perfectly, and that’s okay—sometimes, the best thing we can do is give ourselves a little grace.

The Struggle of Starting Fresh

Beginning a new career often means adjusting to a different routine, learning new responsibilities, and managing new expectations. For those of us who’ve faced a major life event like cancer, there’s an added layer of pressure to “get it right” and take care of ourselves. But life doesn’t always allow for everything to fall neatly into place.

Juggling work, coaching, and self-care can feel overwhelming, and there are days when I simply don’t have the time or energy for a full workout. It’s during these moments that I remind myself that self-care is more than checking off a to-do list—it’s about finding balance and giving myself the grace to slow down when needed.

Tips for Finding Time for Self-Care

1. **Block Time for Yourself**

Starting a new career means your schedule will fill up quickly. The best way to ensure self-care doesn’t fall by the wayside is to block out specific times for it, just as you would for important meetings or projects. Even 20-30 minutes of intentional self-care can make a big difference.

2. **Set Achievable Goals**

With so many new demands on your time, setting smaller, more realistic goals for exercise and wellness is crucial. On days when your energy is low or time is tight, opt for shorter, more manageable activities like a quick yoga session or a brisk walk. Remember, consistency is more important than duration.

3. **Incorporate Movement into Your Day**

You don’t need a dedicated hour at the gym to stay active. Look for opportunities to move throughout your day—take the stairs, stretch between meetings, or walk during lunch breaks. Every bit of movement helps, and these small moments add up.

4. **Prioritize and Delegate**

It’s easy to feel like you need to do it all, especially when starting a new career. But remember, you don’t have to carry the load alone. Prioritize what’s most important each day and delegate when you can, whether at work or at home.

5. **Give Yourself Grace**

There will be days when you feel like you’re not doing enough. Maybe you didn’t get that workout in or you had to skip a self-care moment. That’s okay. What matters is that you’re trying—and that deserves grace. Life after cancer comes with unique challenges, and some days will feel harder than others. Being kind to yourself on those days is essential.

Embracing Grace in a New Chapter

Starting a new career while prioritizing self-care isn’t easy, but it’s possible with patience and grace. As I navigate this new path, I’ve learned that perfection isn’t the goal—progress is. It’s about taking each day as it comes and doing what I can, when I can.

If you’re also balancing a new career and self-care, remember that it’s okay to slow down, to adjust, and to be gentle with yourself. You’re doing your best, and that’s enough. Keep giving yourself the grace to grow and evolve. You’re exactly where you need to be.