MAY 2022: SMALL CHANGES, BIG RESULTS
Healthier Mind and Body
How making a few small changes at work can benefit your overall health
Self-care has become a regular topic of discussion in the workplace – especially on the heels of the pandemic that saw so many people struggling with emotional, mental, and physical health issues.
At its most basic definition, self-care is taking an active role in your own health and happiness. We use self-care as a way to help combat burnout and stress related ailments. And to help find healthy balance of work and play. It’s important to remember, however, that self-care is a fluid term. It can mean something different for everyone and it can change – and often does - based on circumstances.
The most significant piece of practicing self-care is tuning-in to yourself. Recognizing what serves you well and what doesn’t. This is difficult for many of us as our work is often tied to our self-worth and we tend to conflate strong work-ethic with always working. In addition, self-care has been improperly tied with self-indulgence. It’s no surprise then that we don’t quite know how to prioritize our internal needs.
One of the things I’m often asked is, “How exactly do you practice self-care at work?” Typing out a list of practices would be exhaustive. Deep breathing exercises can be just as helpful as taking a walk around the block. Take some time to think about what you truly need. Pay attention to your breathing, your heart rate. Are you feeling refreshed at the start of the day? Are you able to enjoy activities outside of work? Do you feel a sense of pride and positivity at the end of the work day? If you answered no to any of those questions, you are probably not regularly practicing self-care. Below are some basic things to keep in mind when creating self-care practices for yourself. Don’t worry if you can’t practice everything listed every day. Pick one a day… or concentrate on one every month… all you need to do is start.
SET boundaries
TAKE breaks
ASK for what you need
BE accountable
EXTEND kindness to yourself
GET outdoors
NOURISH your body
MAINTAIN sustainable workloads
UPHOLD your personal values and standards
CHALLENGE your mind
PRACTICE mindfulness
FIND ways to enjoy what you do
CREATE a gratitude habit
So the list is a bit of a Baker’s Dozen. Did you see that we threw an extra one in there? Of course, you will have your own take on self-care and what is important for you. There’s no shortage of great ideas when it comes to wellness. The key is knowing how to care for yourself and making the time to do it. No matter how busy you are, you can’t be too busy for yourself. A healthier you is around the corner.
You got this!
