Working a full-time job is part of a normal routine for many individuals. With that comes many long hours spent perfecting the craft that is your career. What many don’t realize is that the hours spent outside of work can play a huge role in how your workdays go. From mental health to your work performance, developing a self-care routine can open the floodgates of benefits inside the workplace. In this article, we will cover three self-care habits to help you get the most out of your workday.
Unwind
When your workday is done, it’s important that you can continue the rest of your day without the worries of work. Unwinding after a long day can be the best place to start. While this looks very different for many people, finding an activity that you enjoy while also being able to decompress after a strenuous workday is key. From cooking a good meal for yourself or taking a walk to destress, the options to relax are endless. If you sit during the majority of your workday, try incorporating some form of movement into your downtime to ensure you are getting your steps in. With endless benefits like decreasing stress, better sleep, and heightened energy levels, unwinding after work is crucial to a healthy work-life balance. After all, you only get a limited amount of hours outside of work, so you owe it to yourself to do something you love.
Disconnect
Screen time happens to be a big part of day-to-day life, especially in the work environment. Spending eight or more hours staring at a screen can cause problems such as blurry vision, itchy eyes, and even headaches. Allowing yourself to take breaks from screens during and after working hours is important for your eyes and your mental clarity. Nobody likes headaches, especially when they come during the work day. Briefly stepping outside during your shift can be the best way to combat this. Whether you take a moment to breathe in the fresh air or take a quick walk to grab a refreshment, this will help to give your eyes a break. Just be mindful of the temperatures before heading outside, especially if you wear eyeglasses. Regardless if you’re wearing a scarf to shield your skin from cold weather, or a mask to protect yourself from germs, it’s common for glasses to fog up. That’s why we suggest you carry along an anti-fog spray to avoid glasses from fogging while venturing out on your break. Although it’s important to give your eyes breathing space from screens, it’s even more important you can see clearly to ensure your safety and properly disconnect.
Relocate
Have you ever had a job in which you disliked the environment you were working in? The environment you place yourself in plays a huge role in winning your work day. Not to mention our mental health can also suffer in the long term. But now, working remotely has opened up a new opportunity with the settings in which you work. However, being isolated at home all day can lead to things such as depression. To give yourself the advantage you need, consider checking out a coworking space. Either with a few friends or by yourself, a coworking space offers that breath of fresh air you might be looking for. Winning your workday becomes much easier when you can bounce ideas off others and share resources. In addition, this allows you to develop a structured routine that can help optimize your time to ensure you’re spending it the way you want to.
Self-care doesn’t just look like sitting on the couch or getting a few extra hours of sleep. While those things can be beneficial, finding new ways to take care of yourself that benefit your work is optimally better for your health and your career. Whether you want to take the plunge into all of our suggested habits or just a few, we hope these help you find the balance of self-care and winning at work.