Self-Care in the Workplace: What can Individuals and Organisations do?

Vix Anderton, EW Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and Well-being Specialist explores the history of self-care in Black activism and how we can redefine self-care to help us improve our wellbeing at work. She also explores how organizations can support employees’ self-care and well-being to create a more inclusive and healthier workplace.  

In the dynamic world of modern work, where demands and expectations often seem boundless, the concept of self-care has often been held up as a panacea. It’s a term familiar to many, yet often misunderstood.

Self-care is not a universal prescription, but a personalized journey, as unique as the individuals embarking upon it. This distinction is pivotal, for in a landscape where ‘one size fits all’ solutions prove inadequate, tailoring self-care to individual needs becomes not just an act of nurture, but a strategic imperative.

In this blog we will delve into the world of self-care, exploring its roots, its dynamic nature, and the practical strategies that organizations and individuals can take to prioritize self-care in the workplace.

QUICK LINKS

• The roots of self-care in Black activism: A brief history
• Prioritising our relationship with ourselves
• Self-care and the community
• Redefining self-care
• Self-care at work: Setting boundaries and saying yes to wellbeing
• Practical self-care audit
• Promoting employee self-care: A collective responsibility
• A commitment to holistic wellbeing

The roots of self-care in Black activism: A brief history

Our current understanding of self-care belies its origin.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Audre Lorde, a Black, civil rights activist, writer, lesbian and feminist

Emerging in the crucible of struggle, the concept of self-care stood as a testament to resilience, an assertion of self-worth, even when society sought to deny both. For the Black community in the 1960s, self-care was not merely a luxury, but an act of defiance, a way to nurture and protect one’s spirit in the face of adversity.

Self-care became a cornerstone of the Black Panthers’ ideology as well. Many medical clinics in the USA either didn’t admit black people or gave them segregated care, and so the issue of health was fundamental to the campaign against racial discrimination.

The Black Panther Party implemented community care programs for the Black community, including children and elderly people, without depending on institutions that had historically and systematically mistreated or refused to serve Black people.

In recent years, the concept of self-care has gained popularity as a strategy to cope with stress and to improve overall health. However, the current approach often focuses on individual self-care behaviors, often neglecting the systemic and community factors that encourage, sustain, or inhibit self-care practices. At work, staff are encouraged to engage in self-care at the same as organizational structures incentivize and reward overwork and individual over team achievements.

Prioritising our relationship with ourselves

There’s an inherent tension in contemporary self-care.

Society often encourages a mindset that places self-care as an afterthought, a luxury to be indulged in only after all other responsibilities have been met. Women and those with caregiving responsibilities both criticize themselves and are overtly judged as selfish for prioritizing their needs over others.

It takes deliberate effort to challenge this prevailing dynamic. It requires acknowledging that our own well-being is not a secondary concern, but a linchpin in our ability to effect positive change and to do our jobs well. By intentionally placing ourselves on the path of self-care, we fortify our capacity to extend genuine support to others.

Self-care and the community

At the same time, hyper-individualist approaches to self-care exclude the social and systemic factors that underpin our health and well-being. If we only prioritize our relationship with ourselves, especially if we are members of dominant groups, we risk ignoring marginalized and excluded communities further.

Our own existence and well-being are not mutually exclusive from the pursuit of a more inclusive world. Nor will a more inclusive world be built solely on acts of self-care in lieu of community and social action. We need to balance both.

We will now turn our focus to individual actions of self-care, but that is not to undermine the importance of collective action, whether that is participating in affinity groups or modifying your own behavior to avoid microaggressions against non-dominant and marginalized groups.

“Selfish is caring for ourselves at others’ expense. Self-care is taking care of ourselves so that we can be there for others.”

Bill Crawford

Redefining self-care

For many of us, self-care can easily become another thing on our increasingly long to-do lists. We treat it as another checkbox that we can simply tick off in our busy lives.

Self-care is not prescriptive. It’s a responsive act, rooted in self-awareness. At its core, self-care is tending to your needs, as those needs change over time. It means asking not only “Are you taking care of yourself?” but also “How are you taking care of yourself?”

Self-care is not always about bubble baths and relaxation. In truth, self-care often requires us to confront uncomfortable truths. It may mean acknowledging the unhealthy patterns we’ve fallen into or summoning the courage to get out of our own way. It can mean having that hard conversation with your boss or saying that you’re at capacity when you would normally say yes to a request for help outside your role. It’s about gritty, unglamorous personal work and that can feel deeply uncomfortable when we realize we’re responsible for our habits and patterns.

Self-care at work: Setting boundaries and saying yes to wellbeing

In the pursuit of self-care, one of the most powerful tools you possess is the ability to set boundaries. It is a declaration of your worth, a safeguarding of your energy and time.

Self-care requires work that looks a little different for everyone, but here are some suggestions to help you start to prioritize self-care in the workplace:

• Asking for and allowing yourself to receive help, rather than feeling the pressure to do everything all by yourself.
• Having dedicated times of the day to respond to email, rather than constantly checking and putting yourself under pressure to reply.
• Setting clear boundaries and communicating your availability clearly to colleagues and clients, remembering it’s okay to say no or negotiate deadlines when you need to.
• Taking regular short breaks throughout the day to stretch, move around, and refresh your mind.
• Stopping the default hour-long meeting. Schedule it for 25 or 50 minutes so that everyone has a chance to take a break before the event.
• Booking a day off work for no particular reason, just so you can enjoy a break.
• Connecting with colleagues by taking a few minutes to have a non-work-related conversation with a colleague. Building positive relationships at work is a form of self-care.

It starts with making a habit of checking in with yourself so that you can be more aware of your needs. This, in turn, will help you cultivate the practices needed to rejuvenate yourself day in and day out.

Practical self-care audit

To embark on a journey of self-care, begin by auditing your current practices. Take a moment to jot down the activities that uplift, nourish, and relax you. Similarly, list those that drain or deplete you. Now, consider this: how could you do a little more of the former and a little less of the latter? This simple yet powerful exercise can be the first step towards a more nurturing relationship with yourself.

Promoting employee self-care: A collective responsibility

Employee self-care is not solely an individual responsibility; it is a collective effort that begins with creating an environment that actively supports, encourages and rewards it. Organisations play a pivotal role in supporting their staff in their self-care.

A good place to start is to undertake a diversity audit to help gain an in-depth understanding of your current position in order to take an informed approach to making improvements to ways of working, policies, and procedures.

Here are some actionable steps organizations can take:

• Cultivate a Culture of Open Communication: Encourage open dialogue about mental health and self-care. Provide platforms for employees to voice their needs and concerns without fear of stigma or reprisal.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Offer flexible work hours or remote work options. Offer flexible leave policies that accommodate personal needs, including mental health days, parental leave, or flexible vacation arrangements. This empowers employees to better balance their professional responsibilities with personal well-being and discourages presenteeism.
• Provide Adequate Resources: Ensure that employees have access to resources that both support their mental and physical health and allow them to complete their allocated tasks comfortably within their working hours.
• Discourage Overworking: Encourage employees to take their allotted vacation days and ensure that they feel comfortable using their time off. Have designated quiet hours overnight and during the working day where people are encouraged not to send emails or messages. Discourage overwork and create a culture that values a healthy work-life balance.
• Set Realistic Expectations: Establish clear, achievable goals for projects and deadlines. Avoid overloading employees with unrealistic workloads, which can lead to burnout.
• Lead by Example: Demonstrate a commitment to self-care at all levels of the organization. Take a regular lunch break. Go home on time. Utilize flexible working arrangements. People see what you do and that speaks louder than what you say.
• Regular Check-Ins: Encourage managers to have regular check-ins with their team members, not only to discuss work-related matters but also to inquire about their well-being and seek feedback.
• Promote Breaks: Encourage employees to take regular breaks during the workday. Create designated break areas where employees can relax, recharge and connect.
• Clear Communication: Maintain transparent communication. Keep staff informed about company changes, goals, and expectations to reduce uncertainty and anxiety. Be honest about what’s possible and what’s not.

By taking these steps, organizations demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of their employees. This not only leads to a more engaged and motivated workforce but also contributes to a positive organizational culture that values the health and happiness of its members.

The “great resignation” in 2021/22 clearly demonstrated that people are willing to change jobs, with 61% of respondents to a Deloitte study citing poor mental health as their reason for leaving their job; Deloitte estimated that the costs to employers of poor mental health had increased to £56bn in 2020-21 compared to £45bn in 2019. In prioritizing self-care, organizations lay the foundation for sustained success and prosperity.

By adopting these strategies, organizations can create a workplace culture that prioritizes the well-being of their teams. This not only leads to a more engaged, resilient and motivated workforce but also contributes to a positive organizational culture that values the health and happiness of its members. In an era where employee wellness is intertwined with business success, investing in self-care is a wise and compassionate choice for any organization.

A commitment to holistic wellbeing

For individuals, self-care is not a luxury, but a strategic imperative. It is the foundation upon which we build resilience, empathy, and lasting change. By honoring the roots of self-care in black activism, by navigating the delicate balance between self and others, and by embracing the dynamic, unvarnished reality of this practice, we pave the way toward a more inclusive and compassionate world.

For organizations, your staff shouldn’t need to engage in self-care as a political act of necessity in the face of a system extracting value from them. Your culture, systems and policies should actively reward and support everyone’s well-being. It’s fundamental to building a genuinely inclusive workplace.