Professional Selfcare

Professional self-care is about the things you do that are related to your work life.
Practicing self-care while at work, and adopting self-care practices that lead to a healthy work-life balance will make you more productive in your career.

If you’re employed or run a business, it’s essential to make time for professional self-care. These are the activities and actions that support feeling balanced and fulfilled in your career. Even if you love your job and don’t find it particularly stressful, incorporating professional self-care into your life can help prevent burnout and keep you inspired. If you’re new to the workforce, have a job with demanding hours, or perhaps are a manager looking to better support your staff, try implementing the below tips. 

How Membership Can Help

Examples of Professional Self-Care Activities

• Setting a calendar reminder to take a lunch break

• Spending time with coworkers after hours

• Setting your phone to Do Not Disturb at the end of your work day

• Taking courses, attending conferences, or working with a mentor to develop your skills and support your desired career path

• Taking a mental health (or sick) day when you need it

• Boundary-setting at work (can be daunting but is so crucial for your mental and physical well-being).

Professional Selfcare Tips & Tricks

What does true work-life-balance look like? How is it achieved?
Having a healthy balance between work and your personal life means that you are practicing professional self-care.

Prioritising this type of self-care often takes practice, especially since work is a huge aspect of our daily lives. Sometimes it can be difficult to turn off our “working brains” at the end of a work day, and the line between our professional and personal lives begins to blur.

While a lot of forms of self-care are practiced on people’s own time, professional self-care is something that can also be incorporated into the work day. Professional self-care is all about setting healthy boundaries for yourself. Here are some of our tips for practicing professional self-care.

1. Start With Small Changes

   You don’t have to make too many huge changes to your routine to practice professional self-care. It’s okay to begin by making small adjustments, as you set your priorities and find new ways to make sure you are caring for yourself during the work week.

2. Differentiate Work Time from Personal Time

   It can help to set clear endpoints to your work day. Consider what time you want to stop checking emails or working on tasks and try to honour that. Differentiating between the two should give you a healthy balance. You could also try a calming activity once you’re finished for the day, like taking a walk, journaling or cooking, as a way to transition into your home life.

3. Stay Organised

   Staying organised is a form of self-care that can help you feel less overwhelmed. When you outline exactly what you need to do for work, your mind will have it all in one place. Keeping a calendar of your schedule and a to do list in a notebook or a planner can allow you to clearly outline each task. Breaking up large projects into smaller tasks is another way to organise your work and alleviate stress. In doing so, you can develop a short list of the top 2-3 priorities each day that seem manageable.

4. Take Breaks Throughout the Work Day

   Even when you are busy with work, it’s important to take short breaks throughout the day. Taking breaks can help you clear your mind and come back to your work more refreshed. Be sure to take a full break for lunch, where you can eat a full, healthy meal. You can also take shorter breaks within the work day to stretch and take a moment away from your screen.

   Do you experience eye strain from your screen at work? One tip you can use for a short break is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to focus away from your screen at an object 20 feet away. This will help refocus your eyes and allow them to adjust back to your work.

5. Create a Healthy Work Space
   Self-care also involves creating a good environment for yourself. Having a work space that is free of clutter and that creates a calming atmosphere can reduce stress. Try keeping your desk organised, so that you know where everything you need is located. If you’re working from home right now, you can customise your space to feel even more calm. You could put essential oils in a diffuser or light a candle, add plants or position your work station with a view of outside, or play subtle, relaxing background music.
   

6. Evaluate Your Work Load
   Before committing to a project or task, first consider your needs and available resources. It’s usually okay to scale back on work or slow down if you feel like you don’t have the bandwidth or that you’re already overextending yourself. Listen to what you think you can realistically accomplish within your scope of work and try to communicate with the people you work with if it feels like it’s too much (or too little).
   

7. Meditate In Between Major Tasks

   All brain breaks are valuable, but taking the time to meditate, even if it’s just for a few minutes, can really improve your emotional wellbeing. Apps like Insight Timer and Headspace can help you clear your mind when you need to.
   

8. Detox From Social Media

   Social media isn’t all bad, but an estimated 210 million people are addicted worldwide, and teens who use it frequently are demonstrably more likely to display symptoms of depression —especially if they’re female. Consider a detox to remind your brain what’s really important and escape the dopamine abuse cycle that leads to social media dependence.
   

9. Get A Massage

   No matter what industry you work in, massages help you ease whatever physical tension you might be holding onto. And if you have a more rigorous job, then they help you take care of your body. Relax those muscles.
   

10. Invest in a standing desk or pad

    While sitting might not be the new smoking, doing so for more than 8 hours can increase your risk of chronic disease by 10 to 20 percent. Try out an adjustable standing desk to mitigate the negative impact of excessive sitting and stay awake through the afternoon slump. In jobs where you stand all day, ask your employer for a pad to place beneath your feet.

11. Take Exercise Breaks

    Exercise not only facilitates better physical health, but it’s also proven to help emotionally and mentally thanks to the release of endorphins. Try walking around the office or the block for 10 minutes when you feel overwhelmed or tired to improve mood and focus.

12. Take Breaks In General

    One 5 to 10 minute break every 90 minutes can help your brain rest and rejuvenate, providing major focus benefits. Use that time to do something that distracts you from your job—listen to music, call your grandma, whatever.

13. Keep Healthy Snacks Nearby

    Grazing throughout the day is crucial to keeping your energy up. A balance of healthy fats, carbs, and protein will improve your mental acuity and help you avoid crashing while you’re working. You can find a range of healthy snacks in The Wellness Market.

14. Drink From A Reusable Water Bottle

    This is an easy, convenient way to up your water intake—and a good reason to stretch your legs in the middle of the day. Stay hydrated, but be sure to wash the bottle often to prevent bacterial buildup.

15. Desk Plant?

    It’ll brighten up the space, add some oxygen, and could even improve your mood, according to a University of Texas study that found the colours blue and green can improve feelings of wellbeing and contentment.

16. Take The Stairs

    Obviously this is a lot tougher if you’re on the 15th floor (unless you run marathons) or you’re always on your feet, but even just climbing a few flights of stairs can help get your heart rate up and bring up your energy for a while.

17. Get Good Rest

    We all know we need to do it, yet it’s all too easy to sleep less than the recommended seven to eight hours. Get as much as you can so you can feel better, and your ability to focus and work efficiently will be improved tenfold.

18. Meal Prep

    Cooking nutritious meals in advance will save you money and reduce stress throughout the week. And it’ll ensure you don’t just grab something quick and convenient that’ll make your energy spike and drop. Try our Gourmet Meal Prep service today by BWG Detox.

19. Breathing Exercises

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed, deep breathing can help. Try these to unwind and combat anxiety.
    

20. Make Your Lunch Break An Actual Break

    If you work in an office, it’s important to step away from your desk and change up your surroundings for the sake of mental health. You’ll come back even stronger and more efficient.
    

21. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

    Far easier said than done, but it’s doable if you do it slowly. If you drink multiple cups of coffee, cut it down cup by cup. Eventually, try switching to black tea, and ultimately green tea, which has low caffeine levels and has many health benefits.