What is ‘self-care’ at work?

One early definition from the World Health Organisation (1998) defines the practice of self-care (in part) as, “… what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health and to prevent and deal with illness.” In the context of work, this means thinking about what we can do to look after our physical and mental wellbeing during work hours, and how we spend our time outside of work to support our health.

It can be helpful to ask questions to understand and define what self-care means to you. I really like Professor Alyssa F. Westring’s work – she suggests looking for patterns and identifying when you feel “drained” and when you feel “invigorated” throughout the day. What emotions do you experience with certain practices or activities? What can you do to help yourself feel better? The answers to these questions can provide a starting point.

Why should you prioritise self-care at work?

While work can be a source of joy and purpose, numerous studies have demonstrated that it’s a major stressor in the lives of many employees worldwide. Chronic work stress can lead to burnout, which is a syndrome characterised by symptoms such as emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Burnout also increases the risk of developing a mental illness and is linked to poor physical health outcomes too.

It’s not surprising that healthy employees are generally more productive, engaged and happier than those who are unwell or struggling at work. When we’re feeling good, we usually perform well, we take less sick leave and we’re less likely to want to leave our organisation.

What are some ways people can incorporate self-care into their workday?

Self-care looks different for everyone, so it’s important to work out what will be most beneficial for you. Often it can be useful to plan what you would like to achieve and how you can make it happen.

Here are some ideas for embedding self-care into your workday:

1. Regular exercise

There is a lot of evidence that regular exercise helps to improve both physical and mental health. At work, this could involve going for a walk at lunchtime or scheduling a regular gym or Pilates session after work to help you unwind.

2. Setting boundaries

For many people, setting boundaries and protecting their time away from work can be part of self-care. Personally, I do not look at work emails outside of standard work hours and this helps me ‘switch off’ after work. This can be hard if you’re used to looking at your device constantly and you have to be strict with yourself. I have colleagues who have removed the email app from their phone completely and they say this has helped a lot. You may also feel pressure from your employer to stay connected, but recent changes to federal law enforce the right to disconnect outside of working hours.

3. Prioritise activities that energise you

As mentioned earlier, I encourage people to think about the activities that energise them and make them feel good, and how to make these a priority. This might be spending time with your loved ones, including pets. It might be creating an organised and peaceful workspace. It could be taking time out during your lunch break to practice mindfulness or listen to your favourite music or podcast. When practised regularly, studies show that mindfulness can be a powerful way to reduce perceived stress and improve work outcomes.

4. Use your leave

There’s also increasing evidence that taking leave regularly and psychologically disengaging from work during vacations is really important for wellbeing – so use your annual leave!

What role should organisations play in promoting self-care in the workplace?

Leaders need to build a culture in their organisation where employee wellbeing is valued and rewarded. They can also serve as role models, actively encouraging their employees to engage in self-care, talking about why it’s important and making sure people have the time and resources to do this.

For example, some senior leaders choose to share when they take annual leave and explain how they spend this time away from the demands of work. Many companies now allow employees to take “no-questions-asked” mental health days, which allow people to take a day of leave with little to no notice if they need a break from work. Other organisations offer wellbeing perks to attract and retain talent. I love that Canva offers employees an annual “vibe and thrive” allowance, which can be spent on their personal development and wellbeing. This clearly communicates that leaders care about the wellbeing of staff and are prepared to invest in it accordingly.

After all, we know that mentally and physically healthy employees are good for morale, satisfaction and an organisation’s bottom line so self-care is crucial.