How to Use Self-Care to Improve Mental Wellness

On average, adults spend ? of their life, or almost 90,000 hours at work. Finding a strong work-life balance is in fact a form of self-care that is often overlooked. Societally, we tend to correlate long hours and overtime with being “a hard worker” and value is given to that moniker. Those who work long hours, often sacrificing personal life for career, seem to rocket to the top - climbing the corporate ladder to success. Once they are at the top though, what is there? Is it enough to be at the top if there’s no foundation of a life fully explored beneath you??

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that workplace stress has serious implications for an employee’s mental health, increasing their likelihood of anxiety, depression, burnout, and substance abuse disorders. Additionally, research has shown what many have suspected - workplace stress has an inverse effect on employee performance. The higher the stress, the worse the employee performs. For all of these reasons, consideration of work and career stress is critical to the conversation around self-care and mental wellness.

Believe it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a silver lining - more employers are now open to the idea (already proven in multiple studies) that employees need not be physically present in the office 5 days or more a week in order to be productive and successful. With the advent of remote or hybrid work options, self-care has become more accessible to us than ever. So how do we take advantage of the new flexibility offered in a way that will impact our mental wellness positively??

First, whether at the office or working remotely, carve out a break. There will be some days when taking a full 30 or 45-minute lunch is not feasible, but carving out and protecting time for at least two 10 or 15-minute breaks is critical. Block the time, and envision that time as a bubble filled with oxygen-containing your best self. You cannot burst the bubble - if you do, your happy little self will fall into the wide-open jaws of stress. So guard that time. Cement it in your schedule. It is non-negotiable. Now that you have the time protected, step outside of your office, or cubicle, or building. Take a quick walk. Or simply sit in the sun (or liquid sunshine as we like to call our weather in Seattle) and breathe. Stretch your arms over your head. Take several deep breaths. Just the simple act of changing your environment, and allowing a few minutes of quiet, focused breathing can make all the difference to lowering your stress levels.

Secondly, let’s talk about boundaries. We just agreed to protect our break bubbles, but we can go a step further. Make a conscious decision, perhaps in consultation with your partner, family, or friends, to define your work hours. For those working set shifts, this becomes somewhat easier. However, for those working on salary - particularly from home, setting this boundary can be tricky (more about that in a moment). Make a decision as to exactly when your work day begins and ends each day - it may vary day-to-day - that’s fine! Once you have defined your hours, add them to your work calendar/availability. Once again, this does not budge other than for extreme circumstances. If your workday begins at 8, no one can book a meeting or a call with you prior to that time. Protect your time.

Now about those working from home or in any remote setting. Boundaries become even more difficult in this situation, because you no longer have the visual cues and physical changes that come along with leaving an actual workplace. When you work on-site, you close up your computer and desk for the day. You turn lights out in your office, and lock up important files. You grab your coat, grab your keys, maybe say goodbye to security. These routines and rituals may seem insignificant, but in fact they play a critical role in cueing your brain to make the shift from work to home. Returning to the home office scenario - consider instituting some rituals around your entry and departure form work even at home. Define your work space at home, even if it means simply turning on a special lamp in the kitchen to signify that you are now at work. If you are working at a park or a coffee shop, great! When you get out of your car and grab your computer or papers, think of flipping on the office light as you lock your car. When work is over, turn off that lamp, unlock that car, put the work down and use those rituals to mentally “leave” your office.

Self-care and mental wellness at work also means honoring yourself and owning your worth. (What in the self owning what now?). Let me explain. Collaboration in any organization is key, it is a process of give and take, offering and receiving of ideas and information, and then working together towards a common goal. In order for any collaboration to be successful, there must be mutual respect between all parties involved. Lack of respect can lead to conflict and stress (aha! I see where you’re going here) which brings us back to owning your worth. Professionalism demands politeness, courtesy, and kindness. That does not mean, however, that you must silently accept disrespectful behaviors, words, or actions directed at you. You don’t need to start throwing fists of course, but you do need to honor yourself and your worth by standing up and speaking out. Take a breath. Ask the person to step aside with you. Offer statements such as, “I am feeling…”, or simply “Please do not speak to me in that tone”. Start the conversation.?

Finally, let’s talk about the subject of worth where people begin to get uncomfortable. Money. Your knowledge, skills, and time are valuable and employers know that. However, they also know their budgets and bottom lines and at the end of the day, that is where their interests lie. Financial stress is real, and if you feel underpaid or underappreciated at work, that stress level is increased. So what does self-care look like in this example? Start with knowledge. Know your market value and worth. Do your research. Gather the knowledge through data regarding what other professionals with your credentials are making. What is the industry standard? How different is that standard in different geographic areas? How do your earnings compare? When was the last time you had a raise? Was it a cost of living raise? A raise based on merit? A promotional raise? If you decide that it is time to ask for a raise, bring all the facts you’ve gathered. Cite examples of the value you bring to the department or company. Provide collateral information. Don’t apologize for asking to be paid what you are worth!

Self-value IS self-care.?