Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Health/Wellness. As many of us spend our adult lives pursuing our careers, we must also think about how to do so in the most healthy ways possible. Depending upon what your career involves, you should consider what you can do to maintain yourself self to maximize both your performance and your health. The following contributed post is entitled, 6 Simple Ways To Practice Self Care At Work.
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Over the last several years, employee burnout has been on the rise. The term refers to becoming exhausted, overwhelmed, or unwell due to work. According to a survey cited in Thrive Global, ‘60% of office workers in the United States and Canada feel burned out.’ The study’s respondents pointed to impossible deadlines, large workloads, pressure, and breaks amongst the contributing factors.
Your own job might involve reasonable workloads and deadlines, yet this doesn’t mean it’s not possible to become stressed. To reduce your stress levels throughout the working week, it’s important to establish a self-care regime. Whether you commute or work from home, these simple steps will set you up to practice self-care at work.
1 . Meal-prep
Most of us can appreciate that a good self-care regime involves eating healthy and nutritious food. If you pre-plan your meals, it’s easier to establish and follow a healthy regime. Prepare or plan your lunches on the Sunday before the week has begun. Spend time researching new healthy recipes, and use apps such as ‘Noom’ or ‘YogicFoods’ for some inspiration.
2. Perfect your space
Working in a dull and unattractive looking environment does nothing for your morale and well being. Try to perfect your working space as much as you can. According to a survey in ZenBooth, ’46 % of professionals said office design impacted heavily on their productivity.’ Another study by The World Green Building Council found that ’69 % of businesses that implemented healthy building features reported improvements in employee satisfaction and engagement.’ These healthy features included good ventilation, lighting, attractive interiors, plants, and collaborative workspaces.
3. Occasional Telecommuting
An Owl Labs study found that’ full-time remote workers reported being happy in their jobs 22% more than workers who are never remote.’ Perhaps the current COVID-19 lockdown has ruined the fun of working from home! Nevertheless, when things return to ‘normal,’ keeping the odd telecommute day here and there is highly beneficial for your well being.
4. Inventive breaks
It’s vital to take regular breaks throughout the working day to avoid burnout. If you want to improve your self-care, you’ve got to get a little inventive with your breaks. Use them wisely to do activities which help you to relax. If you’re working from home, it could be a quick sunbathe in the garden! You could try a brief work out, meditation session, or reading a book? Instead, you might take time to write a reflective passage in a journal or maybe take a walk in the park. Whatever helps you to feel peaceful, make sure that you practice these activities, throughout your day.
5. Set boundaries
Set boundaries for yourself and with your co-workers about how much work you can realistically take on. Juggling too many projects at the same time is bound to affect the quality and stress you out. It’s essential to aim high, yet set yourself realistic expectations about what you can achieve.
6. Prioritise health & safety
It’s vital to pay close attention to health and safety to look after yourself during the working week. Review your health and safety training often, and report anything that you are unhappy with. Even in an office role, for instance, it’s important to use ergonomic furniture to stop yourself from sustaining an injury. If you are unfortunate enough to become injured at work, you’ll need an excellent personal injury lawyer behind you. Companies such as Hadley Law Firm provide some great services.
