Self Care.....at work
In honor of Self Care Awareness month, let’s chat about our work self care habits. Yes that’s rights. Self care at work. While most think self care is something you do outside of working hours, I’d argue that there are a few ways to implement self-care activities while you’re clocked in. For me, work can be a source of great stress and mental exhaustion, so it’s important for me to practice self care in the midst of the chaos so that I can keep my head on straight. Here are a few ideas.
Inhale. Exhale. Repeat - this is an obvious one but think about the amount of time you practice deep intentional breathing at work, especially when things get overwhelming. I’m usually so ready to take action that I don’t give myself the time to reset. Deep breathing can help you recharge to tackle whatever task lies ahead.
Walk it out - again…super simple but how often are we doing this? There are moments when deep breathing just isn’t enough. Sometimes I have to remove myself from the stressful environment even if for 2 minutes to re-focus myself, take some deep breaths and then go back at it.
Stay inspired - surround yourself with positivity and things that provide good energy like inspirational quotes and family photos. I’ve set my computer wallpaper to rotate between several inspirational quotes so that each day I start up my computer, the first thing I see (after logging in of course) is positive motivation.
Tune out negativity - Literally. Bring some headphones or earbuds if you job allows and tune out your environment for a little while. Sometimes we ourselves are not the source of negative energy but the ones around us like Debbie Downer and Sarcastic Sally bring down our mood, and even worse drag us into their negativity. Tune them out with uplifting music, your favorite podcasts or sermons.
Last but not least, say no and speak up when you are overwhelmed. I think this may be the most important practice of all because taking on too much work can be a source of so much stress. I know that we can’t always say no to the work that we get assigned however expressing to your leader when you are overwhelmed can help them understand the effort that goes into the work that you do. It also opens dialogue for them to help you prioritize or at the very least level set expectations for the quality of the work you can deliver given the circumstances.
What are some of the ways you practice self-care at work?