Many people feel like their lives are entirely out of balance right now. Working from home increases the number of distractions you face daily, and it becomes hard to separate home life from work life. Boundaries cease to exist when working remotely.
Employees may find themselves feeling run down, out of sync, and like they’re always putting others’ needs before their own. And when their stress levels are high, they’ll continue to push through because that’s what they’ve learned to do, instead of taking a step back to take care of themselves.
What Leaders Can Do to Promote Self-Care for Employees
Leadership should be modeling a culture of self-care so that employees know that it’s okay to take the time to focus on themselves, which will only help reduce stress and increase productivity. Working through it won’t.
Show them that it’s okay to take breaks during the day to get up, walk around, or go for a run. The work will still be there when they get back, but they’ll feel more productive than they would have felt sitting at their desk and pushing through. Also, try to limit the number of meetings during the week, so there’s more time for employees to incorporate breaks into their days.
How Employees Can Incorporate Self-Care into their Routines
Taking care of your mental and physical well-being is necessary if you want to keep your life in balance and stress at a minimum. Here are a few ways you can start to incorporate self-care into your daily routine to keep your body healthy:
Diet and exercise - If you’re looking to boost your self-esteem and increase your overall well-being, the best place to start is your diet. Are you eating the right foods? Also, take a look at your routine. Are you moving around enough? Working from home, and not commuting, has us all chained to our desks and moving less. Getting up from your desk to walk around for a few minutes can go a long way to help increase those endorphins.
Sleep - Getting a full eight hours of sleep doesn’t just apply to children; it applies to adults. Having a healthy sleep routine is crucial if you’re looking to feel more energized during your days. Decide on a time you’ll go to bed each night and stick to it. Make sure to limit screen time one hour before bed each night.
Play and creativity - Every day, try to look for opportunities to incorporate play and creativity into your routine. Look at it as a fun way to take a break from work and connect with yourself. You can paint, dance, color, scrapbook. The options are endless.
Breathing - Don’t forget to breathe. It’s something you can do anytime and anywhere. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you’re losing control, try placing your feet on the floor with your hands in your lap, and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You’ll find that it lowers stress, reduces tension, and regulates emotions.
Finding time to incorporate self-care into your daily routine will help you find balance again. When you feel balanced, so does everyone else around you. If you’re leading a team, or if you’re an employee, you want to feel motivated, and like you’re able to contribute to the work environment in a positive way. Putting self-care first can help you do that.
Want to learn how to create a culture of self-care for your team? Let us know - we can help.
Comments