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100+ self-care activities: recharging from work in 2023
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Working from home can sometimes be tough. You have more flexibility, but it’s up to you to ensure you’re getting the exercise, fresh air, healthy meals, social interactions, and stress relief you need to thrive.
At Remote, we use our #selfcare Slack channel to post daily self-care reminders. These are very short, simple activities that team members can practice wherever they are working to relieve some stress. These self-care ideas might only help you feel 1% more content for five or ten minutes, but that could be the difference between a good or bad day at work.
Sometimes, you won’t feel like practicing self-care. That’s fine. You shouldn’t feel compelled. This isn’t another task you should feel anxious about completing. Take a rain check if you don’t feel like it. Don’t beat yourself up.
Jump straight to a key chapter
- What is self-care?
- Why is self-care is so important for remote teams?
- Self-care for hybrid and office work teams
- How leaders must help empower their team to practice self-care
- How to build self-care into your work culture
- Self-care advice from remote work leaders
- Remote’s enormous list of self-care practices and ideas
- 100+ self-care tips for remote workers
- Self-care is whatever you need it to be
But try to carve out time in your schedule to focus on yourself at least once per week.
You might even develop your own unique ways to practice self-care. We’d love to see you share these with the rest of your team so others can be inspired.
You are worthy of self-care. It’s wild out there, so take regular moments to be kind to yourself and others, and seek a trusted confidant/counselor if you need a spotter 👍.
But first, what is self-care? And why do remote workers need it?
What is self-care?
There’s a lot of talk about self-care these days. Because the term is so often used as a marketing tool, people may mistakenly confuse self-care with products. When you think of self-care, you might think of bath salts, spa days, pedicures, or resort stays.
True self-care, however, is about much more than having a glass of wine in a bathtub. In fact, some medical organizations take a strictly health-related approach to self-care.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as:
“The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”
The WHO goes on to include the following in self-care:
Hygiene
Nutrition
Living conditions
Social habits
Socioeconomic factors
Self-medication
Think of all the ways you take care of your children, an elder, or a beloved pet. You make sure they get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, are clean, and get medical attention when they need it. If a child is overtired and frustrated yet insists on staying up late and skipping dinner to work on homework, you would step in. You’d promise to talk to the teacher and make sure your child eats dinner and sleeps.
Self-care means doing the same for yourself.
Why is self-care is so important for remote teams?
While remote work comes with many benefits, remote workers are just as likely as their traditional peers to suffer from burnout. An estimated 86% of remote workers report feeling burnt out from their jobs. In contrast, 81% of hybrid workers and 70% of on-premise employees report feeling the same.
Certain stresses experienced by remote teams may make them more susceptible to burnout than those who work on-site. One of those stressors comes from the flexible line between personal time and work time. While flexibility and asynchronous work are good things, sometimes, a worker might feel like their job should take precedence over personal time. They may work extra hours or check work email during time off because they happen to be online.
Remote workers also lack the physical separation between work and home; they don’t have a commute to decompress between the two. These blurred boundaries often make it harder for remote workers to disconnect and establish a healthy work-life balance. Instead, remote workers may bounce back and forth between personal and work time. In a worst-case scenario, that means they might not feel they’re giving their full attention to work or their personal life.
Get a better understanding of mental health issues affecting remote workers in our article covering mental health tips for remote teams.
It also means they have very little downtime between work and family activities, and that can contribute to burnout as well, according to Jayne Morris, author of Burnout to Brilliance: Strategies for Sustainable Success. Burnout contributes to both mental and physical issues.
For this reason, remote teams should work on building self-care into their daily lives, but companies cannot count on individual remote workers to prioritize their own self-care over work.
Self-care for hybrid and office work teams
It’s not just your remote workers who need self-care. Hybrid employees and on-premise workers are just as susceptible to burnout and stress. They may also be working too many hours, and they may also be putting off PTO. The difference is that it may be easier for managers to see when someone has been at their desk for hours.
Burnout affects workers across a wide variety of jobs and working styles. Almost three in five respondents reported stress related to work had affected them negatively, according to a report from the American Psychological Association (APA). These include a lack of interest (26%), difficulty focusing (21%), a lack of effort (19%), and lower productivity (18%).
Workers also reported a lack of motivation and energy, cognitive weariness, and emotional fatigue, and nearly half said they felt physically exhausted. All of the above are classic signs of burnout. Burnout causes workers to be less creative and less able to solve problems. They also become sick more often.
While they might not realize it at first, new managers sometimes make mistakes that can make the problem worse. One of them might be messaging their employees (and even expecting a response) at any time of the day or night. Another is not setting clear expectations with communication tools like Slack.
Learn about more common mistakes new remote managers make here.
How leaders must help empower their team to practice self-care
If self-care is not made a priority, it’s likely to fall through the cracks. In many cases, individuals are more likely to put other peoples’ (and organizations’) needs above their own personal needs. “I’ll catch up on sleep on the weekend,” they might tell themselves, or “I’ll just push myself to get this one project done, and then I will take some time off later.”
Unfortunately, sometimes, “later” never comes. There’s always another big project and another deadline. For this reason, it’s critical that company leaders take the initiative and encourage their teams to practice self-care.
Doing this might feel a bit invasive at first; self-care is extremely personal. Leaders may worry about telling their employees they have to relax. Given the way work can take over the lives of team members, however, it’s vital to fight burnout by modeling good self-care, discussing self-care, and building in practices of self-care during the workday.
It must be a part of team culture. Learn how to build and set up a remote-first culture here.
How to build self-care into your work culture
Work is very much a part of our lives, especially for asynchronous, remote workers who may intersperse personal responsibilities with work. For this reason, you can’t expect your employees to have dedicated self-care time. Instead, self-care should be integrated throughout the day and with work.
Below are some suggestions for making self-care a part of your culture at work:
Start with expectations: Make it very clear that your workplace supports self-care. Let your team know that although they may get an email after work hours (this is standard in teams that work across time zones), they don’t have to respond to any such messages during their personal time. Let the team know that they’re expected to maintain a healthy work-life balance and should take adequate time off for rest.
Use communication tools and away messages: Encourage your team to use the away messages on tools like Slack so coworkers know when they’re working and when they’re off the clock.
Minimum days off: Consider offering minimum days off; team members might be required to take 20 days off a year, for example.
Be flexible: Let your team know that if they have to take a pause to care for family members or pets or other responsibilities during the workday, they are able to do so without stress.
Give your team breaks when they need it: If your team seems stressed or overtired, give them a day off. Sometimes, an unexpected day off is just what your team needs to avoid burnout.
Consider a company-wide self-care day: Schedule a day when everyone in the company takes time off to do something they enjoy. This can be any day of your choosing. Remote offers a self-care day once a quarter. (Team members are encouraged to share their self-care with the team later so that no one is tempted to work instead.)
Model good self-care: If leaders aren’t modeling good self-care, it’s unlikely your team will feel comfortable taking time off. Take the time you need, make sure you log out on time, and engage in self-care when you need it.
Here’s an example of how we communicate self-care days to our employees:
We make sure to communicate these dates and alternative options with our employees in advance. Of course, employees can also choose to opt out entirely if they wish.
Get more advice on creating a healthy and sustainable remote team culture here.
Self-care advice from remote work leaders
Self-care is vital…but don’t take our word for it. We collected advice from a group of remote work pros about how they’ve built self-care into their organizations.
Self-care starts at the top
Candy Parker, senior HR business partner at New Relic, Inc., underlined the need for company leaders to talk publicly about self-care.
“It certainly helps when messaging comes from leadership in the form of support, understanding, and coaching,” she said. “As an example, our incoming CEO recently posted an internal blog on balancing work & life. He included some specific things one can do and provided expectations for managers for their part in the relationship/process.”
Set an example
Tim Allen, CEO of Care.com, missed the birth of his twin sons because he was wrapping up a conference call, a decision that he regrets.
“I was contributing to a norm that company comes first and being a dad comes second. When I took that call on the day of my sons’ birth, I was unwittingly sending a message to other dads at my office that they’d be stigmatized if they didn’t do the same.” He adds, “As CEO, it started with me, but it takes leaders and managers throughout any organization to set the right example for our employees.”
Employees often take their cues from leadership. If you tell yours to practice self-care but aren’t heeding your own advice, then don’t expect them to follow suit. Set an example by prioritizing your own self-care routine. This communicates to your team that you value the importance of a healthy work-life balance.
Get your team moving
Lisa Gregory is a one-person HR department and consultant who has discovered the power of incorporating movement into the workday.
“We can accomplish a ton during walking meetings (they walk, I'm at my computer updating trackers, etc.),” she said. She also recommends movement throughout the day: morning and afternoon walks are a huge help to her, her team, and her clients.
Try a “workcation”
You’ve heard about digital nomads, but what if the whole company went on vacation together? Thomas Kohler, CEO and co-founder of pplwise, calls that a “workcation” and it’s not just for a week: it’s for a whole month.
“We offer employees a workcation two or three times a year, where the company offers a whole mansion for a full month for any employee in a warm place to work and ’be on vacation,’” he said. “Remote work made it possible.”
Get out the crayons!
“Something we've started enjoying is coloring,” said Kyrah Altman, CEO and co-founder of Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do, Inc. (LEAD). “LEAD’s Self-Care Coloring Book for Adults is filled with positive affirmations, notes of positive psychology, and feelings of self-compassion and empowerment!”
According to Altman, coloring improves focus, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes feelings of calmness, peace, and well-being.
Foster a sense of connection
Gregory and Kohler discussed the importance of a sense of connection and trust between team members. Gregory dedicates the first few minutes of every meeting to simply chatting with coworkers and clients.
Gregory also encourages team members to check out early, say no, and set realistic deadlines so that work doesn’t spill over into personal time. “Not everything is as urgent as we may think,” she said.
For Kohler, mutual respect is paramount in creating a culture of self-care. “Certainly, trust from leadership in our employees and each other, paying at least market level salaries and appreciating each other is necessary as a foundation,” he said.
Plan ahead
Marketing manager Douglas Rolim says that being organized about planning his time and his time off has helped him maintain a work-life balance. “What helped keep a mental balance while working remotely has been a sense of direction,” he said. “It becomes easier planning time off-screen and feeling less anxious.”
How do you onboard remote employees? Get more expert tips in our article.
Remote’s enormous list of self-care practices and ideas
So what can remote workers do to relax and take care of themselves? Below are some suggestions from Remote’s own team members. We’d like to give a special shout-out to Peter Maher, Edmund Hillary Fellow and co-founder of inWonder, who was instrumental in building this list of 100 self-care activities for remote workers.
All of these ideas have been used by Remoters during our self-care days, so you should bookmark this page and share the list with your team!
100+ self-care tips for remote workers
Making self-care a priority can reduce stress, prevent burnout, and improve overall well-being. Share this list of self-care tips with your team to create a more positive remote work environment.
Exercise self-care ideas
Stretch goal
Sitting for extended periods without moving has been linked to various health risks, including obesity, increased blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Get up and move once every 30 minutes.
Take five full minutes to stretch. Touch your toes 🦶. Perform a happy baby pose 👶. Any stretch will do. Your muscles and bones will thank you for it. “Deskercise” tips below 👇.
Jog it out
Go for a pre- or post-work hike or walk or jog 👟 (or equivalent). Bonus: @job-ify your experience and don’t take anything with you. No phone. 📵 No devices. No distractions (if safe to do so).
Walk and talk
Let’s face it: meetings aren’t exactly thrilling. However, there are ways to make them more bearable (and even get your creative juices flowing).
If you have an unavoidable sync call, take it while you walk around the block🚶♂️📞 (or equivalent). The benefits of a walking meeting are below.
Dance
Dance like no one is watching.🕺🏽We work remotely, so chances are no one is! 👀 Try a full-on jig when grabbing a snack, tango with your partner in the living room during a break,💃🏿 bob your head at your desk, keep your body moving, and enjoy yourself.
Not only is dancing good exercise, but it can boost your mood and cognitive performance. And remember, there’s no such thing as a “wrong way” to dance.
Mental exercise
Take 15 minutes today, pick up a crossword puzzle or Sudoku, 🤔 and spend some time flexing your brain muscles 🧠. Your brain is constantly making decisions, so giving it something to focus on for a short spell provides a little relief and escape. And it can help keep your brain sharp and smart 💡. If you can’t find a paper copy of a puzzle ✍️ (best option), there are many online versions of a crossword (there’s one below you can start with).
Stand and move
Stand up during the workday as much as you can. The dangers of sitting for too long are all too real 🪑. Using a standup desk to change positions helps keep your body moving, which increases your energy level 🔋. For bonus points, try a treadmill desk to walk while you work. 🚶🏽♀️
Schedule your day around your exercise
Early-bird walk?🚶🏽♀️Pre-lunch pilates? Evening CrossFit session? 🏋🏽 Schedule ~30 minutes of exercise at the time that works best for you and work your tasks around it. Prioritizing and scheduling it 🗓️ is one step closer to actually doing it; your body and mind will thank you 🙏. And if you’re not able to get out of your house, mix it up with at-home workouts.
Food self-care ideas
Have a cuppa
There’s nothing quite like starting your day with a fresh cup of coffee. Make it part of your morning ritual, and you’ll have something to look forward to when you wake up.
Food, glorious food!
Take a mindful pause for lunch, 🍴 and don’t eat at your desk. Set the stage for lunch, fully disconnect, and dig into your life-giving meal. Think about how amazing it is to have taste buds! 👅 Below are some reasons why you shouldn’t eat lunch at your desk 👇.
Water. Água. Wai. Vatten. 물. Omi. Wasser. Eau
However you say it, try to drink 2.5-3.5 liters or 11-15 cups of it 🚰 today if you can. Not only is 50%-70% of our body made up of this stuff, but drinking enough each day is vital to staying hydrated and ensuring you have the energy to tackle your work. Find out below how to tell if you’re drinking enough water.
Fika break
Take a tip from our 🇸🇪 Swedish friends 🇸🇪 and adopt the concept of fika — a Swedish term that roughly translates to having a coffee break and socializing with friends and family.
Schedule these daily short breaks and take a moment to slow down and enjoy life’s goodness. You can do this alone or with friends, at home 🏠 or out and about 🌳. A fika break usually involves a coffee and a baked good 🥮, but do what works for you. Njut av!
Bake!
It doesn’t need to be fancy 🎂. It doesn’t need to be competition-worthy. It could even be just a microwave mug cake. Bake something that brings you joy. Baking can stimulate the senses, is great for mental health, 🧠 and provides you with an outlet for creativity 👩🏻🍳. Success isn’t if your loaf rises or if you get a 💯 score from your most honest critics (kids! 🧒🏾); it’s in the art of experimenting with ingredients. Have fun and bon appétit.
New foods
Simply try a food you haven’t tried before or that you previously didn’t like. This new experience may change your mind or reveal a new favorite! Also, regularly trying new foods has many different benefits, like boosting your mood, gut health, and overall nutrition. If you deem yourself a “picky eater,” you might also find that you’re not as picky after all!
WFH eating habits
Being within walking distance of your fridge can be a frequent temptation 😬. Every screen break from work can end with you in the kitchen looking for something to nibble on. Setting ground rules for your eating habits throughout the day can keep your energy levels high 🔋 and appetite distractions to a minimum 🙅🏽♀️. Consider putting less healthy food in a single cabinet to make it easy to avoid 🚧 and keep healthy snacks in stock and easily accessible.
Chocolate Time
Take a moment to savor some good chocolate 🍫. There are so many benefits of enjoying this smooth treat, and depending on your purchase, you’ll be supporting cacao farmers around the globe 🌍. If you want to take this to the next level, find a cacao ceremony in your area, or try cacao tea! 🫖
Let’s look at some great ways to take care of yourself with meditation.
Meditation self-care ideas
Practice mindfulness
Breathe all the way in. Pause. Breathe all the way out 🗣️. Unclench your jaw. Relax your stomach. Repeat. Do this three times 🤟Learn below how to practice mindful breathing (and why you should do so).
Get out of your head!
Feeling overwhelmed? Studies show that the simple act of writing about your thoughts and feelings can help relieve stressand anxiety. Take a 10-minute break to journal or free-write ✍️ .
Breathe
Oxygenate your lungs. Exchange short breaths for longer ones to help stabilize your heartbeat and blood pressure. Breathe in for two seconds, then out for four. 🌬️. In for three. Out for six. 🌬️ - In for four. Out for eight. 🌬️ Repeat this however many times you’d like. Or try Square Breathing (a.k.a. Box Breathing): in for four, out for four, and repeat. 🔁
Coloring
Children are not the only ones who can enjoy the benefits to coloring books 🎨! Coloring is actually proven to improve focus, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote feelings of calmness 🧘, peace ✌️, and well-being 🤟. You can find adult coloring books 📕 in most bookstores or try the one below (it’s free).
Come to your senses
Take three minutes to stop and be in the present. Close your eyes and determine the most and least prevalent thing in each “sensing” group. If you’re able, start with bringing awareness to your sense of hearing 👂. Then, do the same thing with your sense of touch 👈, sight 👀, taste 👅, and smell 👃. Finally, do it all together 👂👈👀👅👃.
Practicing being in the present helps when your mind wants to remunerate on the past or focus too much on the future.
Do nothing
Literally do nothing for five minutes ✋— preferably outside if it’s safe. No input. No output. Just simply do nothing. 🙅🏼♀️ The world will be there when you’re ready to return, so take this moment for you and, as the saying goes, “Let your soul catch up with your body.”
Have a digital detox
Implementing time for a “digital detox,” whether that’s a full day, a weekend, or longer, can help reduce stress and mental functionality. With the digitization of our world, our brain 🧠 needs downtime from all the stimuli to recharge and restore more than ever. And you may find the most peace ✌️ when you’re unplugged and untethered 🔌.
Planning self-care ideas
Reset your kitchen every night
To help brighten your morning 🌅, prevent clutter, and give yourself a fresh start, reset your kitchen each evening 🌙. This can be as simple as doing the dishes straight away or as involved as wiping counters, putting out new towels for the next day, and scrubbing the sink. Taking 10 minutes ✋✋ each evening may help prevent a more time-consuming chore later.
Banish procrastination for your future self
Do something today that your future self will thank you for. This can be anything big or small. Start flossing your teeth 👅. Let your kids make more decisions 🧒🏽. Actively avoid self-criticism when you notice these negative thoughts 🙊. Make that phone call ☎️. Anything that you feel you’ll look back on today and say, “I’m so glad I did that.”
In your mind, you’re there…
Take 10 minutes to plan your next day off or upcoming holiday 🏖️. Jot down what you want to do and see. Anticipation is half the fun!
Break down big goals
If you’re facing an overwhelming goal, consider breaking it into pieces — smaller, actionable goals that you can tackle daily. Let’s learn from ants 🐜, who diligently carry one grain of sand at a time but are eventually able to make massive (to them) hills! Start with small steps 👣 toward your big goals, and celebrate the daily wins 🎉 as you get closer to “the top of the hill.” ⛰️
Schedule a therapy session
We aren’t supposed to know everything about everything — that’s why we rely on experts who have studied 📚 how to help us find the keys to healthier living. Online articles are helpful, but personalized support, be it physical therapy 💪🏾, psychotherapy 🧠, financial therapy 💸, or something else entirely, is miles more effective. Take a moment to think where in your life you’d like a little freedom and support, and make an appointment.
De-stress
Time management promises us that if we become more efficient, we can make space to accommodate all of our to-dos comfortably. And yet, real time management is like digging a hole at the beach: the bigger the hole 🕳️, the more water that rushes in to fill it. 🌊
Here are three tips to help relieve some stress:
Reduce the number of tasks on your plate and time-box your to-dos (be realistic with your schedule 🗓️ when making these commitments).
Adopt an absolute principle 🙅🏽♀️ to avoid making small decisions (e.g., establish a “no more screen time after 8pm” 📵 policy instead of a “limited screen time” policy).
Use structure, not willpower, to minimize distractions (e.g., turn off the wifi during downtime, or use apps that help limit your social media usage).
Commit to being 1% better each day
Take a moment to determine the small habits you could focus on in your life to encourage continuous improvement 📈. “If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up 37x better by the time you’re done. Continue doing what’s working and reduce habits that lead to tiny losses. These small steps, though seemingly unremarkable in the day-to-day, will pay off in the long run.
Anticipate good times
Learn from our 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇳🇱 friends by adopting a “voorpret” mindset: joy or pleasure ahead and in anticipation of the actual fun event. Looking forward to exciting events in your life 🎉 by writing them in your calendar 🗓️ way in advance will not only boost your happiness but also give you plenty of practice in realistic optimism.
Create a space budget
Try creating space budgets for each category of items you have. Experiment by having one drawer dedicated to reusable containers, 30 clothes hangers in your wardrobe 👕, and one cupboard for all sheets and towels 🛏️. By doing this, you’ll hopefully be left with just the items you really want to keep — and, ultimately, a clearer, more organized space 🧘♀️.
Set aside “worry time”
Set aside 20 minutes a week to worry. The catch is to try not to worry during the week 🙅🏽♀️ but instead jot your worries down and wait until the time you’ve scheduled. Worry itself isn’t all bad, but constant worrying can be detrimental to your health 🩺. When you do get to your worry slot of the week, brain-dump on paper to prevent the worries from swirling around in your head ✍🏼. Then, think through actionable steps ⛰️, and release what you can. Taking 0.20% of your week for this exercise may brighten the remaining 99.80%.
Set a social media timer
Put a timer on when you engage with social media ⏲️. This may help you set boundaries, reclaim your time, and put an end to “passive scrolling.” 🤳 Plus, knowing you have a limit allows you to be more intentional on your devices. Keeping in mind that scrolling is a method borrowed from the gambling industry 🎰 may give you a boost of willpower when you’re tempted to stay on for “just a little longer.” 🤏See the tips below to cut back on your social media usage.
Set up a daily habit countdown
If it’s helpful for remembering, try this daily countdown and reap the mental, physical, and emotional benefits: Nine thousand steps 🚶🏽♀️, eight hours of sleep 💤, seven glasses of water 🚰, six minutes of contemplation ☺️, five servings of fruit and vegetables 🍊, four breaks during your workday 📖, three meals and three healthy snacks 🍲, two hours of no phone before bed 📵, and one session of exercise 🏋️.
Mindfulness self-care ideas
Scan your body
Give yourself a three-minute break 🤟. Sit comfortably, take a deep breath in and out, and close your eyes 🙈. Notice and observe how your body feels right now, at this very moment. Start with the top of your head, and scan all the way down to your toes. Be mindful of your body — after all, you only have one! 😛 Try a guided body scan like the one described below.
Purpose in focus
Keep something on your desk that reminds you of your purpose in life, be it a photo of your family 📷, a memento 🎲, an inspirational quote 📜, or simply your own “statement of purpose” ✍️. Anything small that fits in your workspace. You may encounter lulls throughout your day, and these small reminders can help you focus on what fuels you 🚀.
Let go of the past
It’s sometimes easier to forgive others than to practice self-forgiveness 🤟. We hold ourselves to an unattainable standard 📈, we criticize ourselves for not knowing the full consequences of our actions beforehand 🔮, and we are often, as the old saying goes, “our own worst critic.”
It’s helpful to remember that mistakes, failures, and even incredibly stupid acts 🤦 are part of being human. They’re how we learn and grow 🌱. And not practicing self-forgiveness can negatively affect your health in so many different ways. You’ll find resources for self-forgiveness below. If you need a spotter, that’s perfectly fine — reach out to a confidant or counselor.
Slow it down
Take a moment to assess the pace of your days. Are things ticking along relatively smoothly, or do you feel rushed 🏃🏾♀️ and anxious? Though it’s beneficial to utilize your time wisely ⏲️, squeezing too much into one day can be dizzying 🥴 and can even lead to “hurry sickness.” Unless it’s life or death, try to remove or postpone 1️⃣ task on your to-do list today.
Write down what went right
Take five minutes and jot down a few things that went well this week 🎉. Things you’re proud of. Anything, personally or professionally, that you might “write home about.” ✉️ It’s human nature to focus on the negative and the mountains yet to conquer ⛰️, but you can give yourself a mini boost 🚀 by looking at the distance 👣 you’ve already traveled over the last week.
Mental pulse check
Daily, weekly, and monthly, take some time to check how you are feeling 🔎. You may not be burning out 🕯️, but you may find that you’re “languishing” or “alonely.” Below is a handy term guide. It’s OK to not be OK. So, reach out and share with someone close to you 🤗. Alternatively, you may be flourishing. If so, take a moment to be thankful for this time.
Mirror work
It’s likely that you look in the mirror daily. This can be a very negative experience for many due to the unkind inner dialogue you hear 🙉. Try not to listen to those words. Instead, when you look in the mirror, say things you like about yourself, even if you feel silly doing so. Self-talk has been proven to work. You can also put up a few notes on your mirror with positive reminders. Waking up every day with a kind message to yourself and your body may change the relationship you have with yourself in a positive way 📈.
Remember that you are enough
These three simple words describe the core of who you are. Sure, we make mistakes 😖, but we can learn from them. Today, resist temptations to strive to become more worthy, more valid, and more acceptable. Instead, rest in the knowledge that you are enough 🤗.
Resist comparing
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” attributed to US President Theodore Roosevelt and others, evokes a powerful sentiment that can be life-changing. With an instant view into others’ highlight reels via social media 🤳🏼, it is easier than ever to compare our lives with others’. But in doing so, we may be left with feelings of inferiority 😖 or even superiority 👑 — neither of which creates an emotionally healthy version of us. Instead, focus on the good in your life and be thankful; you may even find hidden joy in the things you’ve previously dismissed. Learn 10 ways to practice gratitude below.
Do mini evaluations
Take a moment each evening 🌇 to look back on your day and see how you’ve moved toward or away from your goals. Were you as gentle with the kids as you wanted to be? Are you proud that you went for that long walk? Were you able to resist temptations that would have derailed your momentum? Small evaluations here and there have the power of keeping you on track. Take inspiration from the frameworks and practices you use in a workplace context to quickly reflect on past projects, and move forward with intentionality 🛤️
5 years = 5 minutes
We spend a lot of time in our heads, thinking through what has happened in the past and what needs to be accomplished in the future. Try to give anything that won’t impact you within the next 5 years just 5 minutes ✋🏾 of your time ⏳. Eliminating thoughts altogether is difficult 😖, but limiting how long we dwell on something is something we can control. Giving any more than 5 minutes to very long-term thoughts will rob us of energy that we could use for other, more pressing tasks.
Nature self-care ideas
Switch it up
Change locations while working today if you can. Sit outside to soak up some vitamin D 🌤️. Answer emails while lounging in your favorite chair 🛋️. Better yet, take your laptop to the park or the beach. Mix up your routine.
Gaze at the stars
Take a few minutes to look up at the stars this evening ✨. Think about how vast and wonderful our universe is 🤩. This may help put this week’s small problems into perspective. Bonus: pull out a sleeping bag and spend some time outside — you might just spot a shooting star. 💫
Take in the sights
Take a window break 👓 and watch the world go by for five minutes 🌏. That’s it. Spot something you might not have noticed before. Life is made up of the small details 🌱.
Look at baby animals
Take a five-minute break to search for baby photos of your favorite animal 🐶🐱🐻🦘. This may seem like a silly exercise, but doing this can help with your attention and concentration afterward — not to mention bring a smile to your face!
Go “forest bathing”
Book some time this weekend to get out into nature 🌳. Listen to the rustling of the leaves 🍃. Smell the aroma of the trees. Do anything that’s calming and relaxing — there’s no “one-size-fits-all.” The simple act of experiencing nature may help reduce feelings of anxiety and fatigue and slow your heart rate. Bonus points if you leave your electronic devices in the car/at home 📵 .
Eat lunch outside
If it’s safe to do so, eat your lunch outside today ☀️ and finish it off with a 5-minute stroll🚶🏾♀️. Take in your surroundings, enjoy the fresh air 🌬️, and give your body a moment to digest before you begin working again. Mixing up lunch locations can add a pinch of excitement to your routine, and you may even discover some new bird friends 🐦. Take a note from the French, where eating lunch at your desk is now illegal!
Add some green friends
Numerous scientific studies have proven the positives of having greenery in your workspace, which range from lowering stress to increasing productivity 📈 and even reducing sickness rates! 🤒 Add a potted plant 🪴 that you have to nurture daily or go all out and bring as much nature indoors as you can. Note: keep in mind any plant allergies you or others around you may have.
Gratitude self-care ideas
Love your loved ones
Take a moment to send a thoughtful text, email, letter to a loved one ❤️ , and mention something about them that you’re thankful for. Better yet, let them hear your voice. Making their day will make your day! 🙏
Express gratitude
Write down five things ✋ you are grateful for in your life. Be specific. Sit in each thought and enjoy that feeling. Much in life can bring sorrow and frustration, so having a list 📝 to remind you of life’s good and beautiful may come in handy. You can find the benefits of gratitude journaling below. Bonus: if a loved one is on your list, how about sending them a little note?
Keep in mind that it’s the small things
Thank a colleague for something small 🔍 they do (or did) that they would not normally be thanked for. Acknowledge everyday efforts with gratitude 🙏 — this will give you and the recipient a boost. 🚀
Be kind to yourself
Take a moment to be kind with yourself. Think of somewhere you might have stumbled, learn what you can, and forgive yourself 🤗 . After all, you are human. 👈
Thank your body, then rest
Our body is an ⭐INCREDIBLE⭐ thing. It doesn’t take a day off; even when we’re sleeping 💤 , it’s hard at work restoring us. Take a moment to be thankful for the body you have since it’s your only 1️⃣. Use this as a trigger to practice some physical self-care. Take a day off exercising at least once a week and just go for a stroll instead. Explore your city. Find a new route and refresh your mind and body instead of pushing yourself to exercise (or feeling guilty for missing a workout).
Thinking of you
Feelings of belonging are so important to our overall life satisfaction, especially for remote workers who might have limited social interactions. Take a moment and think of someone in your life (not necessarily from your immediate circle). Call, text, or email the first person that pops into your mind 🧠 to say you’re thinking of them. 🤗
Recover your intrinsic worth
When we forget our worth, we forget what really matters to us. Instead, we let others define our values and priorities. We begin to say yes to everything and wonder why we are left so exhausted and drained 🥱. We don’t value our own time and abilities. As a result, we sell them to the lowest bidder. Knowing your worth is the start of changing this pattern.
Be honest with yourself about your choices
Choosing one thing 👍 is saying no to another 👎. We are finite beings with limited time, energy, and resources. Choose what matters most in each moment, and fully commit. Also, be vigilant to guard against any incoming guilt 🙅♀️ for not doing the other task. You can’t do everything, and no choice is perfect. Be honest and gentle with yourself.
Reach out to an old friend
Each chapter of life brings with it new friends and acquaintances 📙. If you’re no longer keeping in touch with friends from previous chapters, that’s OK and even healthy 👍. But if you are, reach out to an old friend and see how they’re doing. The world 🌎 has changed quite a bit in the last few years, and they may be encouraged after hearing from you. 🤗
Schedule gratitude
Make it a habit to express gratitude throughout the day 🙏. Schedule short breaks to think about what you’re grateful for. These don’t need to be long winded — consider incorporating a one-minute session ⌛ at midday and one before you sleep 💤. Or spend time with your family at dinner taking turns saying what you’re grateful for. There are no negative side-effects of gratitude — only positive outcomes.
Seek out ways to help others
While helping others obviously helps the receiver, there are also many benefits for the giver. Volunteering at your local food bank 🥫 is always a good option, but any small acts of kindness will brighten your day and that of those around you. Send a kind message to a colleague ✉️. Pay for the order of the car behind you at a drive-through 🍟. Be the eyes for someone who is visually impaired 👁️. Leave a post-it note for your server or in a book from the library 📕. Smile and interact with your local grocery cashier 🙂. Anything that you give will be returned to you tenfold.
Recovery self-care ideas
Treat your feet
Find a tennis or cricket ball🎾⚾ or even a dryer ball. Roll your feet on it for five minutes, applying just the right amount of pressure for your needs ☺️. Foot reflexology massage has been shown to reduce stress, depression, and blood pressure, as well as improve immune function.
Take care of your eyes
Rest your eyes 👀. Practice the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20ft (6m) away from you for 20 seconds. Pop on some blue light blocking glasses 👓. And, yes, eat your carrots! 🥕Bonus: implement a no-screen day/evening to reduce eye strain.
Stop the snoozing
Resist hitting the snooze button in the morning ⏰. To help you get 7.5–8 hours of sleep each night 😴, adopt a regular sleep schedule and reduce late-night activities that may prevent you from falling asleep on time (think blue light 📺, alcohol, food 🍺, and stress too late in the evening 🧠). Speak to a professional if you constantly feel tired, even after a full night of rest.
Take care of your skin
Apply sunscreen ☀️ and/or lotion 🧴on your skin throughout the day. Take a 15-minute walk outside in the sun to expose yourself to some of that vitamin D. Bonus: Turn the practice into mini self-massage sessions if you want to 💆🏽♀️.
Learn something new
Our time on Earth is finite, yet the amount of things to learn are infinite. Take 10 minutes today to learn something new. You don’t need to become an expert 👩🏽🔬; you don’t even need to remember the lesson the next day 🤔. Follow a YouTube video on how to tie a Windsor knot 👔. Learn how to say, “hello” in two languages via Duolingo 🗣️. Complete a crossword puzzle and go down a rabbit hole for one or two new words. Learning something new each day exercises the brain 🧠.
Take a cold shower
This may be tougher to do in the winter, but add cold showers (anything <20C/70F) to your routine 🚿🥶. You may have heard of the Wim Hof Method, but scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism 🍎 and improves quality of sleep 😴, focus 👀 , and immune response 🤧. It also increases endorphins 😃.
Perform preventative care
It’s not the most exciting things to do, but they’re such an important part of adulting and self-care: schedule checkups with your doctor 🩺 and dentist 🦷. Stress has a major negative effect on our bodies. And while you’re at it, consider adding vitamin and mineral supplements to your daily routine (especially Vitamin D with K2 and zinc).
Feeling a little “blah”?
Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness — not burnout 😰, but not depression either 🙁. It’s somewhere in between. If you’re finding you haven’t been feeling yourself recently, here are a few tips:
Focus on micro goals
Carve out uninterrupted time to focus on your tasks
Establish healthy boundaries
Check in with a counselor/therapist
Get a full day of rest
We are human “beings,” not “doings.” We need time to just “be” and quiet the internal nagging voice to keep producing. Carve out one full day 📆 each week where you simply rest ☺️. Avoid work — paid or unpaid — if you can, and enjoy the beautiful things in your life. Get out into nature 🌲, have a dance party with the kids 🕺, get lost in a novel 📖, have a progressive meal with friends 🍽️.
Self-care ideas for at work
Write a 3-item to do list
Sometimes, it feels like we’re drowning in to-do lists 🥵. To help avoid this, jot down three important things that you want to accomplish each day and stick to those. The other items can wait their turn 🙅♂️. Creating this short list will increase your focus and give you a sense of accomplishment. ✅
Celebrate your wins
Take a moment to jot down any personal and/or work-specific accomplishments you’ve achieved recently 🏅. You can even implement a daily or weekly 📆 retrospective to celebrate your achievements.
Know your limits
Say “no” 🙅 more often. This word is hard to say and even harder to hear, but unless a request of your time is healthy for you or you’ll be able to fully commit to it 👍, it’s good to give it a 👎. Your time is precious, and each minute spent on things you don’t want to do is a minute taken from the things that give you life and fulfillment ⏱️.
Set up your morning routine
“You don’t tune your instrument after the performance 🎻 .” There is great importance in creating a morning routine 🌅 to help provide some consistency in your life. Carve out time in the morning to sit and savor a cup of tea ☕, be mindful and meditate 🧘🏽♂️, cuddle with the kids 🧸. Below are some morning routine life hacks.
Mix up your schedule
We all hit our “flow” at different times in the day ⌛. If you haven’t discovered the right schedule for your energy and focus levels 👀 and your team allows it, experiment with your work hours. Try shifting your start time or breaking your workday into chunks (the Pomodoro Technique is an ideal starting point) 🍅 . The world is slowly moving away from the traditional “9–5,” so find out what works best for you. Learn how to beat procrastination with the Pomodoro Technique below.
Switch to audio
If you have any upcoming video calls, consider switching to audio 🔉. Either hop onto video mode for only the beginning and end to say hello/goodbye 👋, or stay on audio the whole time. The “self view” mode of video calls can lead to the “imaginary audience” phenomenon, which can ultimately result in anxiety or self-criticism.
Listen to white noise
Put on white noise while you work 🎧, as this can help you focus 👀, stay productive, and reduce stress. Plenty of playlists offer white noise, or you can create your own. You can even try white noise out if you’re having trouble sleeping 🥱— it may give your brain something to focus on as you unwind from the daily hustle 💤.
Talk less, listen more
As detailed in How to Win Friends & Influence People, there’s an art to listening 👂 more than talking 🗣️. Instead of trying to convert someone to agree with your idea or control the conversation, savor hearing differing perspectives, and try to learn at least one thing from every interaction. Not only might you begin trusting the person you’re listening to, but you’ll also be more deliberate when you do speak 💎.
Relax self-care ideas
The iPhone effect
A research group has discovered that keeping your device out of sight 🙈 while having a conversation enhances your experience 📈. Technology has increased our standard of living, but can, at times, get in the way of living fully. Try creating a space where your phone “goes to bed 🛏️,” removing it from the table 📵 or keeping it out of your hands 👐 to get the most out of your daily in-person interactions.
“Automate” your decisions
Our brains are constantly in overdrive, making 35,000 decisions a day 🧠💥. This can lead to decision fatigue. It’s human nature that when seeking improvements, we tend to add ➕ things to our lives (additive changes). But subtractive changes ➖ might be better sometimes. Help your brain by removing as many simple decisions as possible. Establish a morning routine. Develop a personal “uniform” 👕. Have the same breakfast and lunch 🍣 every day. Set up grocery/household subscriptions (if available) 🍌. And, if you’re making big decisions, try to make them as early ⏰ as possible, when your mind is fresh.
Treat yourself
Do something for yourself today that you consider a treat 🎀. Living a “life of luxury” doesn’t have to be expensive 💸, and as the song goes “the best things in life are free [or inexpensive].” Take a fika break in the park 🍰. Play your favorite tunes and dance 🕺. Sink into a bubble bath 🛁. Play with your pet 🐩. Anything that brings you life. And remember, give yourself the freedom to fully enjoy your time. Below are some extra tips.
Read fiction
Dive into a novel 📚 , or, if you’re more into nonfiction, intersperse fiction into your library. There are so many benefits to reading. It increases empathy, creativity 🎨, and inclusivity awareness, as well as improves sleep 💤.
Get a massage
Incorporating regular massage sessions 💆🏿♂️ into your schedule is not only restful but a great way to take care of your body and mental health. It can improve circulation and mental alertness 🧠 while reducing stress hormones and anxiety. But don’t just wait for your weekly/monthly visit; add daily self-massages to your work breaks. Start with your shoulders and legs 🦵, then finish with your forearms and hands ✋.
Read more positive news
It can be helpful to read about good news when you’re constantly bombarded with all that’s going wrong. Keep in mind that good news won’t be on the front page since it isn’t as profitable for large news outlets, so you may have to do some digging. Future Crunch (linked below) is a good resource, as is the Good News Network.
Listen to ambient music
Listen to ambient background music 🎧 while you work or are trying to concentrate. We all know that music can move us, and ambient music specifically can help improve cognitive and task performance 📈, concentration, energy levels 🔋, and mood.
Set aside more “me time”
Yes, it’s life-giving to be around family. Yes, it’s lovely to be surrounded by friends. But try to give yourself plenty of “me” time to recharge your batteries and feel a sense of restoration. This time doesn’t need to be hours ⏳, it can be as short as 20 minutes. Block out time to read a few pages of your favorite book 📕, play ambient music as you have a warm bath 🛁, go for a short jog 🏃🏽, or meditate 🧘🏾♀️. Putting your own oxygen mask on first will ultimately give you the energy to care for others.
Experience the joy of painting
Take a moment to enjoy an episode of “The Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross. Be transported back in time to watch an artist 🎨 paint “happy clouds ☁️, mountains ⛰️, and trees. 🌲 ” Use these 25 minutes to let go, wind down, and be inspired to notice the small details and goodness in the world around us.
Play games
Embrace your inner child and play any game today, whether that’s video games 🕹️, board games ♟️, or card games 🃏. The benefits of playing games include stress relief, improved brain function, and connection with others. It also promotes creativity 💡. If you’re looking for a card game to take you deeper with those around you, try {THE AND} or Where Should We Begin.
Keep a book within arm’s reach
Keep a book 📕, Kindle, or audiobook 🎧 within arm’s reach so you can read/listen to a few pages when you need to clear your head. You may find that your brain relaxes ☺️, even if momentarily. This tactic can also break up the day and add a little adventure so that you don’t feel like you’ve been nonstop on your checklists ✅. Even if you can’t take a digital detox for a half hour, you can still immerse yourself in some non-fiction journalism or narrative storytelling from your favorite online publication. The mental switch from deep work and analysis to engaging with a story will help you decompress and recharge.
Light a candle
Grab your favorite candle and strike a match 🕯️. Adding candles to your workspace can help improve your mood, alleviate stress, increase your focus, and bring forth positive memories associated with the scent 👃.
Create a momentary, imaginary world
Take five minutes ✋, close your eyes, and pop on a rain soundtrack ☔. Get lost in the sound as much as you can. Create an imaginary scene in an environment you enjoy, and explore your created space 🌧️. Five minutes might not sound like much, but even this small amount can provide a moment of peace and mindfulness ✌️.
Listen to new genres of music
Mix it up today and listen to new music from unfamiliar genres 🕺🏽, including those you think you dislike. You may find your tastes broadening 🎧 and discover wonders you might not have appreciated in the past.
Self-care is whatever you need it to be
Work always seems to push against the boundaries we set. But taking time for yourself once in a while helps to keep you balanced, focused on work, and clear-headed.
Whatever helps you rest and recharge counts as self-care. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it makes you feel good and it lets you take the break you need and deserve.
Remote workers often experience challenges when it comes to work and life balance. Download Greenhouse and Remote’s Life-Work Balance Guide to learn about creating boundaries between your professional and personal lives.
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