I wasn’t expecting to write a Sunday Self-Care post today. Usually my blog post are written a head of time so they can go live by midnight the day they’re due but yesterday didn’t go as planned so I made a decision to skip my Sunday post this week. It’s still Sunday and I have no rule that says my blogs have to be posted on a certain day at a certain time so I decided to go off my own beaten path and write my Sunday post on Sunday night. A lot of us have been working from home for almost two years now, and if you’re not working from home full time then you’re likely on a hybrid schedule. I think work self-care can easily be achieved while working from home because you have access to so many resources and more access to your time. For example, while it may not be encouraged, when you’re at home if you feel overwhelmed you can step away from your computer and watch a few minutes of television, lay across your bed, or even take a quick relaxing shower. Unless your really strict about keeping your work life separate from your home life (i.e. you prefer to work away from home) then working from home can be a form of self-care.
This week I want to provide some work self-care ideas that you can use to help get you through the day but I think I want to focus on ideas that target your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. These are factors that can easily suffer when in the workplace but it’s likely more challenging when you work from home, especially your physical well-being. You’re more sedentary when working from home because you don’t have the benefit of walking around the office or walking to and from the office.
MOVE YOUR BODY be intentional about this. If you have an at home gym or any exercise equipment at home, you can do a quick workout several times throughout the day or workout before or after your workday is complete. If the weather is nice, you can go for a walk during your lunch break around your neighborhood; this is also an opportunity for you to get some fresh air since you’re likely stuck in the house most of the day.
TAKE A MENTAL BREAK it’s really easy for us to get caught up in the workday; especially if your job is very demanding or if you have a deadline coming up. For this challenge I am encouraging you to take a mental break and do this when you feel like you don’t have the time. This can be quick and it can be anything you like but I encourage you to focus on small details such as the touch/feel of something like the fabric of your clothing or the way your pen or note book feels. You can also take the time to observe the details of the objects in your work area. The goal is to give your mind a mental break to avoid/prevent burnout.
CONTROL YOUR SCHEDULE everyone may not have control over this but if you do, schedule your meetings around times that work best for you or, select a day where you schedule no meetings at all. I don’t always have control over it but I try not to schedule my meetings before 10am or after 3p. This meeting timeframe helps me feel at ease during my workday.
STEP AWAY this goes without saying but don’t spend your entire day in front of your computer, schedule a few times throughout the day when you step away from the computer for a mental break. You can use this time to read, watch a little television, journal, get fresh air, text or call someone you love, or whatever you think you need that day at the moment.
WORK FROM YOUR BED if you have a laptop, work from your bed (or somewhere equally as comfortable) instead of in your office. I think this works well on a cloudy, gloomy, rainy, snowy, or really cold morning or if you just don’t feel like getting out of bed. Unless you know you’ll continue to doze off if you get too comfortable then you can be just as productive if you work from the bed, this is a luxury that’s not offered to you if you don’t work from home.
COOK YOUR LUNCH if you LOVE cooking, schedule meals that you can cook during your lunch break. This means you will always have a home cooked meal for lunch each day, not leftovers or take out. This will only be considered self-care if you find joy in cooking.
DECREASE YOUR LOAD by this I mean get some things done that you would normally wait until the weekend to get done. Doing this will allow you to really enjoy your weekends. Some examples of this is grocery shopping or laundry. Since we’ve been working from home for so long I’m sure that everyone already has some form of self-care routine so you may have already created a routine around decreasing your chores. But hopefully this option is a new idea for someone who’s reading this.
Self-Care on the go are essentially bite size versions of my self-care challenges. It’s open to anyone but it’s specifically created for moms and other working women; who may not have time to participate in all (or any) of the challenges that I provide weekly because of their mommy duties or busy work schedule. You can access the infographic HERE. I’ve been posting them every Sunday since the beginning of the year and I really enjoy creating them. If you’re one of my readers who participate in, or enjoy these options because you find them convenient, leave a comment and let me know what you like about them or what you think I should change. Thanks for going on this self-care journey again with me this week.
By the way, if you’re interested, my Newsletter and Self-Care Accountability Worksheet is now available. The worksheet will act as a supplement to my daily self-care challenges. The purpose is to help you stay on track with your daily self-care routines. If you’re interested in receiving these items weekly, email me at [email protected]. The self-care worksheet is FREE, but will only be available to my Newsletter subscribers. I will NOT spam you, I will only email once per week.
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