Why is it important to practice self care at work?
If you’re particularly busy at work, self care can become a neglected and forgotten part of your daily routine.
However, remembering to practice self care at work can be a huge benefit to your overall wellbeing. It can encourage you to build a healthier work-life balance, learning to set better boundaries in your life.
It’s also particularly important if you experience a lot of stress, and want to focus on putting yourself first more often.
So you may think that you don’t have the time to incorporate self care into your daily work life. But remember, self care isn’t just face masks and bubble baths.
Self care is all about looking after your physical and mental wellbeing, which is more important than ever at work.
There are many easy ways to ensure you’re meeting your own self care needs, whether it’s working from home or in the office.
Today I’m going to be exploring some of my favourite tips to help normalise and encourage practicing self at work!
Get outside on your breaks
You have breaks for a reason.
They’re not there so that you can just sit at your desk and continue to work away with a sandwich in hand. Why not consider getting outside for some fresh air, and maybe some light exercise whilst you’re at it?
I’m not suggesting going for a quick 10km run, but a walk around the park can do great things for your overall wellbeing, particularly at work.
Spending time outside can be a great stress reliever, getting your blood flowing and stretching out some of the hunches you’ve got when sat at a desk all day.
Plus if it’s particularly nice weather outside, the sunlight and vitamin D will help you feel more refreshed and energised, ready to tackle the rest of the day.
You may even find that you’re more focussed as a result, contributing positively to your work ethic overall!
Enjoy a nutritious, delicious lunch
If you’re in the office, or even at home, it can be very easy to fall into poorer eating habits, simply out of convenience.
But if you’re feeling particularly sluggish, I find that one of the best ways to make you feel better about yourself, is to feel better about what you’re eating.
Because if you feel you need to take care of yourself a bit more, a sad packet of crisps and a chocolate bar is definitely not going to revitalise you.
Choose a lunch with ingredients that are going to energise you, make you feel good, and that you’re going to enjoy eating.
That could be a pasta salad, a fresh wrap, or a burrito bowl – something filling, with great ingredients, and delicious flavour!
Speak to your coworkers
Whether you work from home or in the office, we all need communication and connection. And no, emails and meetings do not suffice as this communication or connection.
Particularly if you work from home, I know first hand how easy it can be to fall into a hole and not speak to anyone all day. It can be lonely. I consider myself to be an introvert, and still understand that it can get lonely at times.
So this is especially important if you are energised by socialising and speaking to others.
Initiate and join in with light hearted chats with your colleagues, show interest in their lives, and share fun anecdotes from the weekend.
Make an effort to reach out to others – maybe they’re also working from home and could do with a chat as well.
You may just find that you feel better for doing so, and that the day goes quicker in the process!
Pamper yourself at your desk
One point I often reiterate is that when we think of self care, we often think of looking after ourselves through relaxing baths and candle lit evenings.
Now I’m not suggesting you take a break for a quick spa trip – but then again, why not…
However, there are some easy ways you can incorporate the more stereotypical forms of self care into your work day. I find them to be a fun little treat, particularly on days I’m feeling extra stressed or down.
For example, if you’re working from home, add a little lift by lighting your favourite candle or trying out a new reed diffuser.
If you’re in the office, give yourself a small pick me up with luxurious hand cream, or a moisturising, tinted lip balm. Give yourself a little spritz of your chosen perfume and you’re ready to tackle the day.
Sometimes, especially on those hard hitting work days, you need to find those little joys in life. These fun little self care moments are a great way to do that, even if it doesn’t make sense to others.
Set boundaries with yourself and others
Lastly, one of the most important aspects of self care in the workplace, is enforcing better boundaries with yourself and others.
Get better at clocking off at 5pm (or whenever you’re supposed to finish). Try not to respond to any emails whilst you’re on your lunch break.
If you’re so readily available all the time, you’ll never be able to switch off properly.
Now, in more competitive, corporate positions, I understand that this may not always be the case. Many say that there are some sacrifices that have to be made if you wish to go far.
But one of my favourite phrases I’ve seen on TikTok is, ‘we’re saving PDFs, not lives!’
I think that by setting clear boundaries with yourself and others, you’re far more productive in your designated work hours, and won’t be so stressed out all the time as a result.
What do you think?
This post has shown you 5 tips for practicing self care at work! You may also like:
- 5 Ways To Practice Self Care For Busy People
- How To Start a New Self Care Routine in 2025
- 7 Monday Morning Habits For a Great Week
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