In a world constantly competing for our attention, it’s important to practice self-care—taking action to protect and promote our overall wellbeing. Self-care looks different for everyone, and with World Mental Health Day around the corner, we invited a few employees to share how they practice self-care:
“For self-care, I enjoy hiking. Being out in nature is peaceful and helps me feel renewed and revitalized.”
–Bonnie Baich, Legal
“What helps me cope with my mental health throughout the years, including the pandemic, is seeking emotional and social support from friends who care rather than those who judge. In addition, I picked up foraging as a new hobby to explore the surrounding nature and take my mind off the daily technology-related distractions.”
–Duy Nguyen, IT Business Services
“I think wellness and mental self-care is about whatever you need to feel happier or more relaxed. For me, it’s gardening. I intentionally build time into my routine to get outside, even if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes. I walk through my yard, remove some faded flower blooms, or make a mental note of a plant that’s struggling and what I can do about it later. And if it’s a sunny day, I raise my face to the sky, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and smile. It brightens my mood every single time.”
–Lynn Werner, Business Support Services
“During the day, I make a point to stretch or quickly foam roll every few hours. Working from home, I tend to spend more time sitting, so stretching breaks are a great way to get away from my desk and reset.”
–Megan McManus, Learning and Development
“As somebody who has had bouts of depression, mental health awareness is a daily thing for me. I try and go for a run most days, which has probably been the single best thing I’ve done to aid it. I’m fortunate to live near a trail that allows me to get away for a little bit each day to clear my mind with nature and a podcast/audiobook.”
–Nathan Cantu, IT Information Security
“I learned years ago that I have depression. I tried many ways to offset its effects and learned that depression is different for everyone (i.e., what works for me may not work for you). After a lot of different experiments, I landed on the following self-care practices:
- Talking to a health care professional regularly
- Spending quality time with loved ones (my kids, family, friends, and pets)
- Engaging in physical activity/exercise daily
- Spending time on fun hobbies (e.g., cooking, reading, etc.)
- Laughing every day
- Breathing—super easy and super effective
- Meditating two to three times a week
- Cleaning—it’s an activity that provides immediate gratification
- Journaling—get my thoughts out of my head and revisit them the next day to see if I still feel the same way
- Don’t fear the stigma! So many people suffer from mental health issues but don’t talk about them for fear of the stigma associated with them.”
–Rob Sotlar, Learning and Development
