The 5Cs that matter to women
A quality life means knowing how to prioritise your health.
1. Care (For Yourself)
Have you ever overlooked your own needs to ensure everyone else is taken care of? Too often, self-care is the first thing to go when women feel they have to choose between themselves and others. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
A quality life means knowing how to prioritise your health – be it physical, mental or emotional. Self-care isn’t selfish. If you are not doing well, you’ll not be able to take care of others. It’s easy to burn out or even fall into depression.
You can practice self-care every day. Find little pockets of happiness in life and treat yourself like you would your loved one. Reward yourself and indulge in a sumptuous meal for the week’s hard work. Work out twice a week to get a healthy boost of endorphins. Self-care means staying on top of your finances and savings too. This will reduce stress and worry about your financial future. Not sure where to begin? Let us help!
2. Children
If you’re a mother with a child who’s about to start school in a few months, you’re probably thinking – They’re growing up so fast. I’m not ready! You’ll want to spend more precious time with your little one. Take her out to Sentosa. Watch her squeal in delight when she sees her favourite otters at the zoo. Finish reading her that ever-growing collection of bedtime books. Maybe even take a sabbatical to do all that and more!
The desire to deepen your bond before your child faces the rigours of primary school education, is understandable. What’s more, Science has proof* that young children’s brains develop better when they receive more love and attention. But it can be tough for working mothers to be there every step of the way.
Sabbaticals can be costly. Career breaks have an impact on your savings and may pause your earning potential. So it’s important to ensure you’re sufficiently covered or invested, to cushion the cost of a potential career break. No mother wants to miss out on their child’s growing up moments. But your financial health matters too.
3. Confidence (In The Future)
If you’re in your twenties, you’re likely at your most curious. You explore new lands and cultures with vacays at every opportunity and approach new jobs with enthusiasm. With your newfound financial independence, you’re busy figuring out your place in this exciting world.
But don’t forget, while you’re enjoying life, it’s important to save for your future – be it for a home of your own or a head start on your retirement funds. By starting early, you’ll gain confidence in your future. You’ll appreciate seeing how much your funds grow over time and ease your financial burden in the long run. Why not chat with one of our Financial Representatives and take your first step in retirement planning!
4. Chill
Today’s women often take on many roles. Daughter. Sister. Girlfriend. Wife. Mother. Even loving mum to a fur kid. You may have a demanding full-time job and perhaps a list of chores when you get home amongst other responsibilities and commitments. Maybe the only break you get is when everyone is sound asleep.
It’s easy to ride on the momentum and take on everything. But remember, we’re not super human. It’s totally ok to chill out and take a break. Give yourself permission to say ‘no’ when you just don’t have it in you.
In fact, breaks are essential to restore motivation and help you come back stronger. So it’s important to consciously take pockets of quality time for yourself. It can be a 5-min walk through the park on your way home to connect with nature. Or simply enjoying a lovely drink at the close of a busy day.
5. Critical Illness
We want to stay healthy, so we can live our best life – travel to experience new cultures and foods, spend time with our loved ones for as long as we can and experience all that life has to offer. But all that is at risk if critical illness strikes. Today, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Singaporean women. The risk of it increases with age and early stages of breast cancer often show no symptoms. That’s why early detection is key. Doctors recommend women to go for regular mammograms and do monthly self-examinations, which you can learn how to do here**.
And while many women are afraid of breast cancer, did you know heart disease kills six times as many women? Heart disease is the no. 1 lady killer in Singapore.
Women are more likely to experience a heart attack than men later in life – due to their lower oestrogen levels after menopause. Yet, many women who suffer heart attacks often dismiss them as something else because its symptoms are different between men and women. While men are more likely to experience familiar symptoms such as chest pains or tightness, women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, jaw pain, back pain, nausea and light-headedness.
Hence, it’s essential to protect yourself financially with a comprehensive insurance that covers critical illnesses such as breast cancer and heart disease. This will provide you with the financial resources to receive the best medical treatment should you require it.
* Winston, R. & Chicot, R. (2016). The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5330336/
** HealthHub. (2019). Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/20/breastcancer
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