Do you feel guilty for putting yourself first? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. We often feel bad for prioritising ourselves, even if it’s exactly what we need. National Self-Care Week, which runs from the 18th – 24th of November, puts the spotlight on self-care. The 2024 theme is ‘Mind & Body’. It’s a great reminder that looking after yourself can do wonders for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
You may have a tendency to always put others first, but remember, looking after yourself will help you to show up better both personally and professionally.
Even small self-care actions can reap huge rewards, from reduced stress and anxiety, to increased self-esteem and happiness. However, it does take deliberate effort and some commitment.
What is self-care?
When you think of self-care, a bath and a glass of wine might spring to mind. Nothing wrong with that, but there are actually many dimensions to self-care. Keep reading to see how you can get started.
Physical
Take small steps to improve your physical wellbeing, this could be a daily walk, preparing a healthy lunch to take to work, implementing a sleep routine, staying hydrated or attending health check-ups. This is especially important as we head into the Winter months, when energy and motivation can be affected.
Emotional & Mental
Support your mind through emotional and mental wellbeing. Journalling, mindfulness and breathing techniques can all help you to process emotions and spend more time in the present moment. Start building a toolkit of positive coping strategies and stress management techniques.
Social
Make the time to connect with friends, family and colleagues, join community groups and have meaningful conversations. But also establish healthy social boundaries, sometimes saying ‘no’ is a form of self-care too! Check out We Are Wellbeing’s July blog on social wellbeing at work.
Financial
Financial wellbeing might not be the first thing that springs to mind, but it’s an important form of self-care. It could include budgeting, setting savings goals, planning to pay off debt and planning for the future. Money Helper has some great resources to get your started.
Intellectual
This is a form of mental wellbeing and helps us to stimulate the mind, broaden our knowledge and increase skills such as problem solving and creativity. Try taking a course, reading a book, taking on a new project at work or starting a new hobby.
Environmental
The environment which surrounds you can have a big impact on wellbeing. You could start by decluttering your work or living space, spending less time online or giving the house a good clean. Caring for the broader environment also benefits you, and the wider world – get outside and explore your local area, volunteer in conservation work or start litter picking.
How can I support self-care at work?
MHFA England reported that 1 in 5 UK workers felt unable to manage stress and pressure in the workplace last year. This is just one reason why promoting self-care is so vital. Start by endorsing the above actions, and most importantly, lead by example! Supporting your employees to set boundaries and maintain a good work/life balance is also vital. Furthermore, encouraging self-care amongst colleagues is likely to have a positive impact on productivity and motivation.
We Are Wellbeing can support your organisation through a range of workshop and webinar topics, get in touch to find out more.
Conclusion
Adding self-care into an already busy lifestyle might seem like a big ask. But even 5 minutes a day, or an hour a week is a great start, and can do wonders for your mind and body. Our blog on how to build healthy habits provides some practical ways to build momentum.
To conclude, think about one act of self-care that you could implement today.
