The 4th Annual ICMA University and League of Women in Government Symposium, held Saturday, October 19, at the 2019 ICMA Annual Conference, was an afternoon of fantastic speakers, keen insights—and the biggest game of Rock, Paper, Scissors we’ve ever seen.  

The second speaker of the day was Nicole Lance, CEO of Lance Strategies, and former assistant city manager of Surprise, Arizona. She brought attendees her highly entertaining presentation, “Self-Care Is a Superpower.” Lance discussed over a dozen micro-strategies for self-care — and reiterated that self-care is not just yoga!

Her tips and tricks were perfect for busy professionals on the go, and many of them can be done while at work. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Mindfulness

To help calm your mind and become more mindful of your surroundings, try this: wherever you are, without moving, try to become aware of your left pinkie toe.

2. Clearing (aka the Cosmic Lint Roller)

When you come out of a contentious meeting or difficult conversation, think about using a giant lint roller to pick up all the negativity and take it away.

3. Deep Breathing with the 4-7-8 Technique

Sometimes when we try to focus on our breathing, we end up thinking about everything on our to-do list rather than centering our mind. Try the 4-7-8 technique: Put the tip of your tongue on the little ridge behind your two front teeth, and with your mouth closed, inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale with a whoosh for 8 seconds.

4. Leave it in a Box

When we leave the office for the day, often we’re still thinking about things we didn’t accomplish or all the items on tomorrow’s to-do list. Find a small box, set it near your office door or somewhere on your desk, and imagine yourself mentally transferring over everything work-related into that box to leave it behind. Make that intentional break to keep work matters at work and to be present when at home. Resolve to keep those thoughts in the box instead of cycling through them over and over.

5. Write a “Why I Am Awesome” List

Lance asked the audience to write down at least one way in which they are awesome. A few examples of “awesome statements” from the crowd were “I’m raising awesome kids,” “I’m an exceptional friend,” and “I bring enthusiasm to my work.”

Lance wrapped up her presentation by leading the room with an exercise called “The Biggest Fan,” an epic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, in which two-by-two everyone played the game, and if they lost, they had to cheer on the person who beat them, then cheer for the person who won the next game. The group worked its way down to just fewer and fewer pairs, but with a growing crowd of those cheering them on. The takeaway message was to reflect on how you were initially disappointed that you lost the game, but you quickly moved on to cheering for everyone else. Applying that to our own lives, we should learn not to dwell on disappointments, but to move on to the next big thing and celebrate all the good happening in other parts of our lives.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the 4th Annual ICMA University and League of Women in Government Symposium, as well as other keynotes and featured speakers of the 2019 ICMA Annual Conference.