3 Ways to Practice Self Care at Work

Learning how to do self-care at work is important.

If you’re looking for ways that you can be productive at work while still maintaining your mental health, in this post I share some easy and helpful ways. In these unprecedented times as the majority of us are working remotely, this topic takes on a completely different meaning. Taking care of yourself at work also now means setting clear boundaries. There is a danger of lines blurring where you end up overworking and being overwhelmed which is detrimental to your sanity and mental health. It is important more than ever to treat your work space with respect but also knowing when to walk away for breaks.

Work can be stressful. We all know this and it’s something that everyone battles. But even in saying that, it’s important to understand there are things that you can do to help your mental health at work.

You don’t have to worry yourself sick in a way that disrupts your overall happiness at work. Instead, take charge of the fact that you’re able to do your own self-care at work by trying out these simple and actionable methods.

3 Ways to Practice Self Care At Work

The good thing about self-care is that it’s within everyone’s self-control to make it happen. And the easy part? You can start right now. No fanfare or RSVP necessary, any time is a good time to begin your self care journey. What is also relevant is that you realize the importance of mental wellness to be productive in your work environment. And that awareness is key in offering your best version to your employer which I am sure they will appreciate! So let’s have a look at the following self care tips to implement at work below:

1. Create a calming look in your workspace

If you have an office or a cubicle at work, you can make it be a space that calms your soul. Same applies to your home work space as well if you are working remotely at this time.  Add in bright colors, or calming colors, and do your best to get rid of any clutter. Clutter is one of the biggest reasons that people start to feel stressed so if you can eliminate the clutter, you’ll be easily eliminating some of the stress. Think of walking over to that clean work desk every morning. A joy. Right? So begin with some serious decluttering, also add some pop and look at the transformation of your work area in no time!

2. Separate from the water cooler talk

I get it, I really do. Standing around and talking about the latest work gossip is tempting. It’s not only exciting and dramatic at times but it also helps you to feel as though you’re bonding and in the mix. But after a while, this type of behavior is going to turn toxic. And when you’re allowing toxic thoughts into your mind, it’s going to follow quickly by slowly overtaking your mental happiness as well. Now mind you, this might not be the case anymore in a Pandemic when we are social distancing or working from home. But toxic work behaviors still do exist in all shapes, size and forms. Its more virtual that’s all. Think zoom chats or work emails that are not at all related to work. Phone calls from coworkers that turns toxic also fits the bill. Steer clear of such situations.

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3. Take your breaks and leave your desk for lunch

This is really important. If you find that you stay at your desk when you have a break or sit at your desk and eat your lunch, it’s time to pick up and move to somewhere else. If you don’t take the time to get a change of scenery from your work area, then you’re never going to allow yourself to fully get out of that mind-frame. You’ll be amazed at how a few moments away from your work environment for a quick break or a fast lunch can easily reset your mind and have you recharged and ready for the rest of the day, week, and month.

Again, if you are working from home, a good way to break away is to go for a lunch time walk. Outdoors and fresh air does a lot of good for your soul and body so why not grab the opportunity to soak up the sun, brisk walking, biking etc? Lots of possibilities.

RELATED: 5 Habits of Mental Wellness that I Started in Lockdown

As I wrote in one of my previous posts, I usually go for early morning walks with my dog, Socks on week days and spend 40 minutes on treadmill during lunch time. It works like a charm!

Learning how to do self-care at work is as simple as trying to try out the actions above.

Allow yourself time to make the transition and see how easy it can truly be to reset and allow yourself some inner peace and happiness. You will start to see how your life changes for the better by implementing these simple and effective self care practices on your work hours.

RELATED: 10 Simple Ways to Cope with Stress

Do you have any other tips on how to do self-care at work? Share in the comments.