Self-Care in the Workplace... and I Ain’t Talkin’ Massage Chairs
- Lucy Lantis
- May 24
- 3 min read
Self-care has become a buzzword that conjures images of bubble baths, pints of ice cream, and foot rubs. And while two of those things may require HR’s involvement, I’ve got a different take on what qualifies as self-care—especially when it comes to the workplace.
To me, self-care isn’t about luxury or doing the least. In fact, it’s often the opposite. Real self-care is usually the harder choice, the one you’ve been avoiding because it stretches your comfort zone. The paradox is that we neglect our needs for so long, that doing what’s actually good for us feels uncomfortable. Let me give you a few examples:
I once worked with a nonprofit leader who asked her team to create personal self-care plans during a rough leadership transition. I was impressed. How often do leaders give you a homework assignment to take care of yourself? Here’s why her strategy was effective:
The thing is, when we put off our needs for so long, the luxurious form of self-care (a massage, a long weekend away, retail therapy) seems the most easy and accessible. But we don’t want to get to the point of burnout where we are treating emotional and mental exhaustion with a bath bomb…that’s putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole.
Takeaway: It’s time to start preventatively thinking about what we need, before we need it. Try this: envision the most stressful thing on your calendar this week. Now ask yourself, what action or inaction will make this feel less stressful in the moment.
Now consider, what action or inaction will make it feel less stressful in the long-term? Remove instant gratification from the mix and do the hard thing. Pay that invoice. Tell that person you aren't going to hire for the job that you found someone else. Advocate for your supervisee to attend that conference. Doing hard things builds our self-esteem and when we have high self-esteem, we don't tolerate places that only take from us.
So let me ask you this: what would your radical act of self-care look like right now for that stressor on your calendar? Hit reply and tell me—or better yet, forward this to a teammate and start the conversation there. You deserve a workplace that supports your humanity. Let's build that together. |
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