It can be extremely hard to feel balanced or comfortable during the chaos of quarantine and COVID-19, but practicing something as simple as self-care can really help anyone who is struggling during this period of change and uncertainty. Self-care can be defined as any specific activity we do to take care of our mental, emotional, or physical health. Good self-care can not only improve your mood, but it can reduce your anxiety. Finding ways to bring self-care into your workday is crucial. Taking care of your happiness and well-being during stressful times is paramount.
Not only does self-care help your state of mind, but it can also prevent “burnout”. Burnout is when an employee at work feels stress, energy depletion, and cynicism. It’s unhealthy for the employee AND the company. The World Health Organization even added “burnout” to the International Classification of Diseases in 2019.
So, how can you avoid burnout, practice good self-care, and still be a great employee during this challenging time? Follow these tips:
Set boundaries
You might be working from home, but that doesn’t mean you should be working an extra 4 hours a day. Make sure to unplug at the end of each day. Turn off your notifications if you must. Protect your sanity and create a new routine that might take into account the fact that you’re a parent, or the fact that you are sharing your space with a significant other or pet now.
Promote positivity
Every morning, try writing down a list of a few things you want to accomplish. These can be as simple as “take a shower”, “check in with a coworker”, or “do a sit-up at lunch”. Then when you accomplish these things (or do anything else that makes you feel good), check it off. Give yourself a break and make sure to really appreciate the little things you succeed at. You can do this daily, or weekly. Whatever works best for you.
Stick to a schedule
If you went to the gym over lunch every day when you were in the office, maybe you stick to that plan while you are remote working and take a free online yoga class during your lunch every day. Or perhaps you take a 15 minute break every afternoon and walk around the block. Maybe you wake up early to watch the sunrises on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whatever it is, keeping to a normalized schedule is very helpful for practicing self-care.
Move your body
Going off of the schedule idea, it’s important to try to exercise at least five times a week. Yes, gyms are closed, but that doesn’t mean you have no other options. For one, many gyms, fitness instructors, and athletes are offering free online classes that you can do from your home. You can also go for runs outside and practice strength training by doing social media challenges such as the Push Up Challenge (doing 20 push ups a day for a month). Whatever you do, even if it’s just a dance party by yourself, it’s important to get your body moving.
Pay attention to the simple stuff
Oftentimes when we get stressed or upset, we forget to take good care of ourselves. Make sure you’re drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and getting outside (while wearing a mask) multiple times a week. Turn these things into habits and don’t let them fall by the wayside. Maybe you want to spruce up your WFH space and get some decorations online. Or perhaps it’ll soothe you to create a WFH playlist to jam to while you work. The simple things can go really far in creating an atmosphere of self-care.
Breathe
If you find yourself really struggling during the work day, you can try some breathing exercises. You can find these online or on any number of meditative apps. (Learning how to meditate in general can be very helpful and is an extremely popular form of self-care.) Take a deep breath, hold it for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, and keep doing that until you feel yourself begin to calm down.