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It’s hard to take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. As a business owner, it’s important to practice self-care in your own life to encourage your employees and clients to follow suit. Implementing self-care and positive lifestyle changes can lead to improved productivity in the office and support improved mental health overall. It can be tempting to sweep healthy habits to the side when things get busy, but making time for yourself will pay off in the long run.
Self-care will enable you to be the best version of yourself for the people in your life and will empower your employees, prospects, and clients to do the same. In this blog post, we’ll cover …
- Why is Self-Care Important?
- Examples of Self-Care in the Workplace
- What Does Self-Care Look Like?
Why is Self-Care Important?
Think about the world we live in today. Over the last few years, we’ve experienced a global pandemic, political tensions, skyrocketing inflation, and an out-of-control housing market that have left many of us with an overwhelming sense of stress. If you don’t take some time to evaluate your own needs and take care of yourself, it’s easy to spiral and lose motivation in both your personal and professional life.
Your employees and clients already have so much going on in their own lives, the last thing they need is for work to be another stressor. 70% of adults who said stress interferes with their work also reported that workplace stress affects their personal relationships, mainly with their spouses.(1) In fact, 25% of people in a recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health survey said they view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.(2)
With those stats in mind, it’s important to practice self-care as a form of relief from work. A Vagaro survey found that Americans cited experiencing benefits such as: enhanced self-confidence (64%), increased productivity (67%), and happiness (71%) when prioritizing self-care.(3) It also results in physical health benefits like a reduction in the chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer. On the flip side, not engaging in self-care can result in burnout, depression, anxiety, resentment, and worse.
Self-Care in the Workplace
So, what can be done to preserve everyone’s sanity and keep mental health a top priority? Some solutions are tangible while some are a little broader. In the workplace, there are several practices you can enact to help your employees and clients feel safe, respected, and cared for on the job. The culture of working 80-hour weeks and constantly demanding more from your workers is a dangerous one and it’s quickly going out of style. In most instances, people are working to live, not living to work. They have families and lives outside of the office, so such long weeks could be detrimental to their mental health. Consider dialing back the pressure by hiring another employee to help take on excess workload or adjust your expectations and deadlines to ensure your employees have the necessary bandwidth and support they need.
Self-care is important to your clients and employees, but sometimes the care needs to come from you as the business owner! Incentives like allowing hybrid work, offering half-days on Fridays, and being flexible with PTO requests are all things that your employees have no control over, but that could tremendously improve their well-being. You may initially think these measures could be harmful to your business or decrease productivity, but a recent study actually showed that employees know they’re not at their best when stressed. The survey showed that 41% said it made them less productive, 33% said it made them less engaged, 15% admitted to looking for a new job because of stress, and 14% said it made them absent more frequently.(4) You can’t afford NOT to take care of your employees.
Don’t overlook the countless possibilities to extend beneficial self-care to your clients! They represent a valuable part of your process and can benefit from a self-care routine as well. Initiatives like randomly sending self-care promotional items and notes to clients letting them know you are thinking of them can go a long way. Encourage self-care for your clients to show them you value their partnership and recognize how hard they work. When people feel like they are being stewarded with fairness and compassion, they are more inclined to put forth a full effort for the company and do the best job possible at work.
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What Does Self-Care Look Like?
Self-care can look different from person to person. For one person, it may be a trip to the spa; for someone else it could be a day on the golf course, or taking an evening to catch up on their favorite tv show. In many instances, promotional products can even contribute to self-care. Lotions, massagers, and robes can all provide the at-home spa feel that may be just what they need to feel refreshed and ready to tackle the week. Products like yoga mats and push-up grips can encourage physical fitness, another important component of self-care routines. Travel items like bags and portable speakers can even encourage your employees and clients to take that much needed weekend getaway.
Whatever self-care looks like for you, it’s essential to take that time to prioritize your mental health and well-being. In a work environment, it’s critical that employees and clients are given space to do just that. But the principal applies to business owners as well. Your company and employees will be at their best when you’re at your best!
The Takeaway
Nobody runs at optimal performance when they’re bogged down by work and the stresses of life with no relief. Establishing a self-care routine is important for your own sanity and effectiveness in the workplace, but it’s also paramount that you provide the space for your employees and clients to do the same. So, take that mental health day, treat yourself to that massage, have that extra scoop of ice cream, or whatever else self-care entails for you! Contact us today to set up a call with a dedicated member of our team and learn more about how we can help you take care of yourself and your employees and clients.
