4 Self Care Programs To Foster Health At Workplace

We have been given all sorts of advice about self-care and how important it is to practice self-care for our emotional and psychological well-being. But are you practicing it regularly? Is self-care on your do-to-list?

Self-care is nourishing your body, mind, and soul. For example, it could be anything going for a morning walk, meditating, nurturing your mental well-being, or eating healthy food.

"The moment you know yourself, you have known the most precious thing in existence."

-Osho

What is Self- Care?

The concept of Self-care is often confused with self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means caring for yourself to be healthy and well, mindfully doing your job, and helping and caring for others. It is about doing the things you love and need to and want to accomplish in a day. Holistically, self-care is self-love.

"We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression," she says. "Everybody feels it," says Paula Gill Lopez, Ph.D., an associate professor and chair of the department of psychological and educational consultation at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. The need for self-care is obvious to cope with the 21st-century crisis, be it mental, physical, spiritual, or financial.

Self-care is the answer to coping with day-to-day stressors, says Kelsey Patel. Often it is the work stress you are trying to keep up with, and the daily life's pace and technology have added some more to it. "People are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slow down, making them feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks," Patel says.

Self-care is a great way to become a better version of yourself. Moreover, when you practice self-care, you feel happier and healthier.

Nowadays, people do not get enough time because of hectic working hours. As a result, they forget to take care of themselves or engage in physical activities. And hence, their lifestyle becomes sedentary, which in turn leads to stress and anxiety.

Self-care is never a selfish act - it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.
– Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Also Read: Essential Self-Care For Employees In Frontline During The Covid Pandemic

Self-Care For Employees

Self-care is about taking measures to deal with your emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical health and wellness. It can be either to load off your work stress or to find a better version of yourself and meet the best of your ability.

Self-Care Programs are well-implemented programs that promote employee’s health and wellbeing and increase employee’s engagement and productivity.

The recent times have been hard for the entire world because of covid – 19, and we have found ourselves in challenging situations due to -

• Poor health
• Financial crisis
• Job loss
• Depression
• Divorce

According to experts, promoting health in the workplace has proven to heighten productivity. Every employee looks for an excellent environment, values, thoughts, and culture to foster their mental well-being.

Reports from Limeade tell us that

1. When employees get support from their peers and organization, they are 38% more enthusiastic about work. 28% are likely to recommend their workplace as a great place to work.

2. More than 75% of employees want time for recreational activities to revitalize themselves.

Also Read: 7 Ways To Foster A Healthy Work Environment To Improve Employee Health

Why Do You Need Self-Care Programs At The Workplace?

Self-care programs are incorporated at the workplace to focus on employee health primarily.

Here are the benefits of Indulging in self-care programs -

• Elimination of anxiety
• Reduced depression
• Improved concentration
• Increase positive thinking
• Minimize anger and frustration
• Reduce the chances of heart disease and cancer.
• Helping individuals to tune with a higher power, thereby improving spiritually.

Self-care programs focus on different dimensions of wellness, such as :

• Spiritual
• Emotional
• Physical
• Psychological
• Professional

Spiritual Self Care

• Engaging in mindfulness meditation
• Looking out for deeper meanings of life
• Visiting holy places – churches, temples, mosque
• Writing down your thoughts
• Doing Yoga

Also Read: 7 Ways To Boost Wellness Program Participation At The Workplace

Psychological Self Care

• Engaging oneself in a hobby
• Taking a break
• Listening to music/podcast
• Reading a book
• Being grateful to the universe

Professional Self-Care

• Engage yourself with motivating peers
• Taking counseling sessions
• Reading professional journals

Physical Self-care

• Maintaining a healthy diet
• Developing a good sleep pattern
• Engaging yourself in a physical activity

Also Read: What Is The Importance Of Workplace Wellness In Your Organization

Emotional self-care

• Taking out time for relaxation
• Putting down your phone during work hours.
• Making time for family.
• Painting or coloring.

The most profound personal growth does not happen while reading a book or meditating. It happens in the throes of conflict, when you are angry, afraid, frustrated. It happens when you are doing the same old thing and you suddenly realize that you have a choice.
– Vironika Tugaleva

Simple Self-Care Programs That You Can Follow

Since office hours are hectic, we feel burnout at the end of the day. Due to this reason, burnout has become a growing problem.

It is crucial to introduce self-care programs to promote mental and practical physical well-being in the workplace

Here are the four effective self-care strategies to incorporate at your workplace.

1. Inculcate good morals and principles

i. Encourage walking meetings

When employees go out for meetings, it helps in boosting their health- mentally and physically. Walking meetings give a good time to employees where they get a break from the sedentary lifestyle.

ii. Avoid eating lunch near the computer

Lunchtime is a great time to give yourself a mental break. For example, You can go out for a short walk, stretch your body muscles or have conversations with your workers.

iii. Set your own rules for the organization

Become an inspiration to your colleagues and your team by preaching your own self-care rules. Let people know that it is essential to prioritize their own needs. Go out for a short break with your colleague; walk or do desk exercises.

iv. Practice gratitude and kindness

Encourage gratitude and kindness among your teammates and within the organization. Create a supportive culture where you can mentor your employees and be the backbone during hard times.

Also Read: Top 5 Benefits Of Gratitude On Workplace Wellness

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2. Appreciate people's time and effort

i. Optimize your busy schedule.

Since working hours are hectic, people don't get enough time to make the best of their busy schedules. Give yourself some space so that you can relax your mind in between work.

Also, you can encourage better work habits, for example. If meetings are scheduled for one hour, you can finish off the session within 50 minutes. The last 5 minutes could be a fun chit-chat.

ii. Encourage freedom and flexibility during working hours.

If employees do not get space to do other personal things like taking breaks often, stretching their muscles, they are likely to be stressed out.

iii. Allow employees to set time boundaries.

It is essential to set communication boundaries around an employee's time. Many MNCs follow different time zones as per their location. But if you're not willing to adjust your timings, it will hamper yours as well as their schedule.

Related: 71 Spiritual Wellness Quotes To Rekindle Your Employees Absolute Well-being

3. Practice mindfulness meditation and carry out mental health-related self-care programs.

i. Motivate employees to do meditation and Yoga

How about 5-10 minutes sessions of calming music to help you relax your mind and body? Doesn't it sound great?

You can organize sessions where they focus on breathing. As you know, meditation is a great way to increase concentration and positive thinking.

ii. Introduce weekly wellness reports

Weekly wellness assessment will help the employees know the status of their mental and physical well-being. It can be done through dedicated meetings or having vigorous discussions about fitness and mental health. Employees need to understand how they are doing.

iii. Organize counseling sessions

Employees might feel they need someone to talk to about their emotions. As you know, bottling things up is unhealthy and affects your mental health.

Once a week, arrange counseling sessions so that employees express their feelings and talk about their problems. It will also give them solid emotional support.

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Also Read: 5 Benefits Of Celebrating ‘World Compliment Day’ At The Workplace

4. Detach from tech

Log off from work, give yourself a break, and put the computer in sleep mode. Take a social media detox and find yourself some soothing time.

It could be for 20 minutes or half an hour. Disconnecting from tech will help you recharge your brain, reduce stress, minimize eye strain and other health issues.

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Wrapping up

Nowadays, people come up with the most common excuse for not participating in self-care programs: "Sorry, I don't have time." Even if employees devote 1 hour daily out of 24 hours, it will promote health and well-being. One great thing about self-care is that it doesn't cost you any money.

With the ongoing current covid –19, it is the best time to take care of yourself and improve the quality of life!

Practicing self-care programs is an important activity. When self-care programs are implemented intentionally and consistently, they will impact employee's wellness and enhance overall health.

So, what are you waiting for?. Life is precious; it's time to LOVE YOURSELF and start your self-care plan!!!