It’s not easy juggling work these days when wherever we turn there’s another challenging current event, yet employees still need to show up for their professional and personal lives. Events around the world can affect our overall well-being if we aren’t mindful of how they can trigger us in various ways. Emotions that we’ve been bottling up while trying to move forward with our daily life may surface.
Why taking time for self-care is crucial for your employees right now
Your employees might not be able to focus at work and think positively given all the challenges we’ve all experienced as of late. In fact, a recent study revealed that 50% of employed Americans say their work performance has been negatively affected by thinking about current global affairs.
Mental health exists on a continuum. Your state of mental well-being will fluctuate over time, depending on internal and external factors such as your physical health, global events, personal life situations, and workplace stress. By deepening self-care practices such as meditation and mindfulness to improve mental well-being, you and your employees can build resilience and stay grounded when times get tough.
5 self-care activities that you can ease into
Encourage your employees to carve out time this week to try out some of the following self-care activities.
- Take a walk in nature or your neighborhood and appreciate your surroundings
Research studies all draw a similar conclusion: being in nature can provide us with a multitude of health benefits, such as decreased stress, increased focus, and better mood. It’s important to dedicate time during your workweek to go for a walk and experience what nature has to offer. You can also try enhancing your nature experience with the Walk Away Stress meditation series by Eric López, PhD, in the Calm mobile app. - Practice guided meditation for a few minutes every day to calm your mind
Guided meditations have been gaining popularity in the last few years. During challenging times, meditation and mindfulness are particularly effective at taming your mind because they help you focus on being in the present moment without judgment. In a published clinical study of meditation and mindfulness, 84% of users cited improved mental health; 81%, a reduction in stress. Try deepening your practice with our guided meditation sessions on the Calm web app and Calm mobile app: Anxiety Release and 60-second Reboot. - Reframe your mind for positive thinking to overcome negative thoughts
When we experience hard times, whether personally or globally, it’s common for us to default to negative thinking and a sense of hopelessness. But having a positive mindset can help you overcome negative thoughts. When you practice reframing your mind for positive thinking or positive psychology, you’ll strengthen your resilience and build up your capability to bounce back quickly. For example, expressing gratitude daily can help you reset your mind to appreciate the positive things in your life. Try writing down what you’re grateful for in your life in the morning before you go about your day. You can also try these meditations to help change your mindset on the Calm web app and Calm mobile app: Overcoming Negative Thinking and Reframing Difficult Thoughts. - Get up from your seat during the workday and do some light stretches
It can feel difficult to make time for some light exercises when we have a lot on our plate, but studies show that even a few minutes a day can help improve our mood, increase our energy, and lower our stress levels. Start integrating small mindful movements throughout the day even if that means simply standing up and doing a few stretches at your desk. If you need some guidance on where to start, try our Daily Move series with Mel Mah on the Calm web app and Calm mobile app. Check out these two popular sessions available on the Calm mobile app: Releasing Stress, which walks you through some light full-body stretches that you can do right in front of your workspace, or unwind with Moving for Fun, which will have you using your entire body to dance like nobody’s watching. - Listen to calming music and relax with a warm beverage
Unwind after your busy workday with some relaxing music while you take a few quiet moments for yourself. Try listening to Peaceful Thoughts by Astron on the Calm web app and mobile app. Enhance your serene experience with a warm beverage and let go of any racing thoughts.
We’ve also curated a new collection available in the Calm mobile app only, Coping with the Weight of the World, that features mindfulness practices and calming discussions:
- Healing for Helplessness
- Easing Empathy Fatigue
- Connecting Our Humanity
- Bearing Tragedy
- Information Overload
- Rest for the Weary
As a parting thought, we want to celebrate you and how you’ve been managing so far. Try deepening your self-care practice and you’ll begin to radiate positive and calm energy in your workplace and community.
For more resources to help you and your employees better manage overall well-being during difficult times, check out the full Coping with the Weight of the World collection in the Calm mobile app.
