Knowing success doesn’t come to the lazy, we put in long work hours and make sacrifices. Unfortunately, our self care is often the first thing pushed to the side. While not taking breaks or skipping lunch may seem like an efficient use of our time, these daily choices can pile up and increase our risk of burning out. It’s important to recognize that in order to be our best self at work we need to put our self care first.

Here are five tips for increasing your self care in the office.

1. Listen to music:

Bring a pair of headphones to work and listen to your favorite radio station or Spofity playlist. The soft music playing in the background will help get your creative juices flowing and prepare you to take on the day’s tasks.

 

2. Go for a walk:

Sitting behind a computer all day can take a toll on your mental health just as much as your physical health. Make time for a quick 15 minute walk each day to refresh your mind and get your blood flowing!

3. Use the Calm app:

Regardless of how much you love your job, there will be stress. Instead of ignoring the situation, it’s important to acknowledge that you need to take a moment to breathe. Calm, a meditation app, allows you to choose timed mindful exercises to relax your mind and body. So sneak away from your desk and find a quiet place (maybe just in a bathroom stall!) and plug in your headphones for a quick 5 minutes of relaxation.

 

4. Decorate your space:

You might not want to go to the trouble of decorating your office space, but you spend a lot of time at work! It may seem insignificant, but curating your space with bits and pieces that make you feel at home will increase your mood at work. My favorite accents: framed photographs and plants!

 

5. Don’t eat lunch at your desk:

I know, I know! It’s easy to get wrapped up in a project and think eating at your desk is a great time saver, but it’s important to step away and take breaks. After eating lunch outside or in the break room you will come back to your project with a fresh set of eyes – and may even finish it stronger than if you had sacrificed your lunch break!

What do you do at work to increase your self care?! Leave it in the comments below!