A major part of staying healthy is getting enough rest, and keeping a handle on your mood. For many of us working from home is somewhat foreign, and can be a bit stressful. Our work environment is different, there’s often isolation, and the usual camaraderie is missing.
It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the day with the demands of work, family, friends, church and other concerns. However it is essential that we take care of ourselves. 5 minutes of self care, can mean the difference of having good day verses a bad one.
Here are two easy things that you can do to care for yourself on a daily basis.
1. Start your day with a cup of hot tea and 2 minutes of prayer, quiet or meditation. A hot beverage stimulates the mind and a quiet environment helps the body easily adjust to the newly awaken state.
2. Balance your day with a list of things to accomplish and a list of rewards. Writing down a list of rewards not only creates scheduled breaks in your day. It also gives you something positive to look forward. It’s actually fun.
Make sure that the reward is something that helps you relax, like reading a magazine article or going outside to watch animals for 5 minutes. I sometimes call a friend and say "Hey I only have 5 minutes, but I just wanted to tell you about something funny that happened". Think of interesting things, the sky is the limit. While you're at it, look up in the sky there's a lot going on up there.
It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the day with the demands of work, family, friends, church and other concerns. However it is essential that we take care of ourselves. 5 minutes of self care, can mean the difference of having good day verses a bad one.
Here are two easy things that you can do to care for yourself on a daily basis.
1. Start your day with a cup of hot tea and 2 minutes of prayer, quiet or meditation. A hot beverage stimulates the mind and a quiet environment helps the body easily adjust to the newly awaken state.
2. Balance your day with a list of things to accomplish and a list of rewards. Writing down a list of rewards not only creates scheduled breaks in your day. It also gives you something positive to look forward. It’s actually fun.
Make sure that the reward is something that helps you relax, like reading a magazine article or going outside to watch animals for 5 minutes. I sometimes call a friend and say "Hey I only have 5 minutes, but I just wanted to tell you about something funny that happened". Think of interesting things, the sky is the limit. While you're at it, look up in the sky there's a lot going on up there.
Here’s an example of how to structure your list.
1. Complete the project management analysis report
2. Set the agenda for Thursday’s staff meeting and send out Zoom invitations
3. Read and respond to 10 of the 50 thousand emails in your folder.
4. Attend a scheduled Zoom meeting that seems like it’s never gonna end
REWARD - Take a hot bath during your lunch break and add a few drops of relaxing essential oils.
or
Get a cup of hot tea, sit outside for 5 minutes and think about something you would like to do during the coming weekend. Then smile and get back to work until your next reward.
1. Complete the project management analysis report
2. Set the agenda for Thursday’s staff meeting and send out Zoom invitations
3. Read and respond to 10 of the 50 thousand emails in your folder.
4. Attend a scheduled Zoom meeting that seems like it’s never gonna end
REWARD - Take a hot bath during your lunch break and add a few drops of relaxing essential oils.
or
Get a cup of hot tea, sit outside for 5 minutes and think about something you would like to do during the coming weekend. Then smile and get back to work until your next reward.