This Is What Employee Self Care REALLY Means
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I know how hard it is to be an employee in 2024. That is why it is important to learn what employee self-care is and how to incorporate it at your workplace.

Shop my blog posts on my amazon storefront! I have a whole category for self care at work that is filled with products for employee self care!
What is Employee Self Care?
1. It Isn’t Condescending
When thinking back to jobs where I had bad employee self-care, I notice that it was because when I tried to incorporate self-care at work, I would often get made fun of!
For example, when I could take some time to meditate on my lunch breaks, people would purposefully walk into my office and scare me or laugh at me for my breathing. I wasn’t being disruptive since my office had a door, and my back was to the door. So for them, they saw this as a funny thing I did and not something for my mental health.
Employee self-care shouldn’t be laughed at. Taking care of ourselves and prioritizing our well-being whenever possible is important.
2. It Is Helpful
Jobs allowing you to cut a corner every once in a while or holding you accountable are both forms of employee self-care.
Jobs should be giving you tips and tricks to help you be better and move more efficiently in your workplace.
A/B test all of your tips that you are given. This means that you should try the tips out, time yourself or another helpful metric, and see if the way you were doing it is better or worse than the way they told you to try it out. This can help you develop an eye for efficiency as well.

3. It Is Giving You Time Off When You Need It
When you are so overwhelmed the thought of getting out of bed sounds crazy or you are sick and can’t stand up without throwing up, then you should get time off.
Jobs that force you to go to work on these types of days with no flexibility will not be a place with good employee self care.
Your employer should understand that life comes with days that require you to take a day or two off of work due to your mental or physical health. Your mental health counts as your health as well!
4. It Allows Accommodations
Let me give you a few examples of reasonable accomodations:
If you have major back pain, you should be allowed to sit when your job allows. If your job requires you to stand then you will have to be creative about when to ask for a chair to be provided.
If you have social anxiety, maybe having a desk close to a get away spot or working in a position that doesn’t require much social interaction is also a good idea.
Ask your job about what kind of accommodations they can provide if you suffer from any medical condition. They might have a few ideas that would help you perform your job more efficiently.

5. It Makes You Feel Safe
You shouldn’t feel like you are walking on eggshells when you work.
Your workplace should be a place where you feel like you can safely present ideas and work without feeling like you will be criticized or made fun of because of it.
Going to work should feel like a time where you can be productive and make you feel like you are adding something to your life. This can be a very vulnerable thing, and because of that, it is important that you feel safe at work!
6. It Doesn’t Steal Your Joy
When you get home from work, do you have things that bring you joy? Do you have a hobby that brings you joy?
If you answered no, then we need to start getting on that!
- If you enjoy knitting or crocheting, click the button below filled with products I think you’d enjoy to bring back the spark of yarn hobbies.
- If you enjoy cooking, here is my favorite baking and cooking tools and products that have sparked my joy for food overall!
7. It Gives You Resting Time
If your job doesn’t encourage you to take your breaks, it might not be a great fit. Your breaks are important, not just for yourself, but also for your work performance. If you aren’t taking breaks then you aren’t going to be able to work at your highest potential.
In Oklahoma, for every 8 hour shift we are given two 15-minute paid breaks and one 30 minute unpaid lunch. So every two hours of my shift I am able to go on a break. This gives me motivation while I am at work because I know I am never working more than 2 hours at a time.
The biggest thing here is if your employer or your coworkers get mad at you for taking your breaks then I would talk to HR. Don’t go overboard and take 20 minute breaks when you only get a 15, but take the breaks you are given and enjoy them.
Click here to read about why I don’t use social media on my breaks and why you shouldn’t either!
This Post Was All About Employee Self Care
We have written a whole blog post about self care at work if you want to learn more ways to incorporate self care at your workplace!
If you’d like to purchase some products in aim of having better self care, then click the buttons below that will take you to my storefront that I have curated with amazing products just for you!