Five Ways to Improve Your Self Care at Work

September 26, 2016September 25, 20161 Comment

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!

Month in Review: August, 2016

September 7, 2016August 31, 2016Leave a comment

Oh, August. You were good to me. With two family birthdays and our wedding anniversary we had a month packed with celebrations, but surprisingly there wasn’t any cake. That just goes to show you where cake lyes on our list of preferred desserts! Instead we satisfied our sweet craving by roasting s’mores and I was able to check another item off my summer bucket list.

I had the pleasure of working on a few new and exciting design projects this month! I love collaborating with other creatives and can’t wait to share the finished designs in the upcoming weeks. (Stay tuned!) While it’s easy to get lost in a project, I made it a point to leave my desk and take an afternoon walk every day. With scenery like this, these walks quickly became a highlight of my day.

At the beginning of the month, Ian and I packed our bags and drove to Milwaukee for a friend’s wedding. The weekend was filled with twinkle lights, signature cocktails, and lots of laughter. Oh, and did I mention dancing?! The guests invited to this wedding knew how to bust a move which lead to multiple dance-offs throughout the night.

After brunch the next morning, Ian and I took advantage of being in Milwaukee and wandered around the Third Ward. We ended up on the rivers edge watching boats pass by and soaking in the sun. Milwaukee is a beautiful city, and it was nice to take a moment to reflect over the love-filled weekend before we got back in the car to embark on our journey home.

After a few days to recuperate from our wedding weekend adventures, Ian and I donned our green and gold for a preseason Packer game! I’m not a huge sports fan, but I can get behind anything that serves hot chocolate. So while it drizzled during the second half of the game, I was snuggled inside my rain coat sipping my drink. Overall, I would say the outing was a success!

Toward the end of the month Ian and I made the trip to Madison to celebrate the August birthdays in my family! We had an eventful weekend packed with golfing, going out for dinner, and an impromptu Olympic games competition. Lots of laughs were shared and it was hard to pack up and head home on Sunday.

Ian and I ended the month by spending a rainy afternoon at the local art fair. Nestled under our umbrellas, we strolled between vendors daydreaming about how we will decorate our future home. We picked up a few business cards before settling down and listening to the performers on the main stage. Once our shoes squished with every step, we decided it was time to call it a day and head home to dry off.

I hope you all had a wonderful August and enjoyed this glimpse inside our month.

Board Game Date Night

August 17, 2016August 16, 2016Leave a comment

It’s already the middle of August and I feel like this month is going by too quickly! I’m not ready for summer to be over! The thought of snow still runs shivers down my spine. (Apologies to all you snow bunnies, but this Wisconsin girl still hasn’t fallen in love with the long Mid-Western winters!)

Ian and I have been trying to make the most of the warm weather by eating dinner outside, lounging by the pond reading, or taking our board games outside for a sunset game night. I love that a simple change of scenery can make an ordinary activity feel fresh and exciting. Next outdoor activity? Movie night! I’m already excited about making our little den outside on the patio to get cozy and watch a movie on our iPad.