Avoid Burnout With These Authentic Examples of Self Care

This post is all about examples of self care to help you avoid burnout at work.

When you think about examples of self care, you probably imagine a relaxing pedicure or a special meal. These tangible treats can make you feel better in the moment. But they don’t begin to prevent the burnout and exhaustion that most people will experience in their careers because of grind culture.

If you want to avoid burnout and build a career that you can enjoy for the long haul, you have to make everyday choices to support your overall wellness: inside and outside of the workplace. Some of these choices are easy and require minimal effort. Others are long-term habits that take daily practice and effort.

In this post, we’ll give you six long-lasting examples of self care to help you create a sustainable career that you can enjoy for decades to come.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6 Real Examples of Self Care at Work

1. Don’t Overwork

2. Talk about Pay with Colleagues

3. Set Hard Boundaries

4. Take Vacations

5. Speak Up When People Mistreat You

6. Save An Emergency Fund

6 REAL EXAMPLES OF SELF CARE AT WORK

1. Don’t Overwork

Grind culture makes it feel normal for employees to do extra work without always getting paid extra. We all have that friend that works on weekends or agrees to plan work events, even though their boss is probably underpaying them.

When we work overtime without extra pay, we limit our bargaining power because employers know we will do a certain amount of work for free. Overworking also robs us of time for relationships, rest, and hobbies we enjoy…without us getting anything in return.

If you want to take care of yourself throughout your career, you have to view your labor as a paid resource. No volunteering at work. Do only what you get paid for. And say no to unpaid tasks outside of your job description.

2. Talk About Pay With Colleagues

You were probably taught that talking about money, especially at work, is impolite and taboo. Even though it’s not illegal to talk about pay with your coworkers, traditional work culture conditions employees to stay silent about money at work.

But when employees don’t talk about how much money they make, it’s hard to know whether bosses are paying everyone fairly. This hurts all workers, but it’s especially harmful for women, who make 83 cents for every dollar men earn, and people of color, who make even less.

Self care in the workplace includes talking to your colleagues about how much money everyone makes. Having conversations about wages will help you advocate for fair pay throughout your career. At the very least, we could all use a few extra coins for Self Care Saturdays!

3. Set Hard Boundaries

Your career will take over your life if you let it. Employers benefit when employees constantly check email, refuse to rest, and rarely take time off work.

When you don’t set hard boundaries around how and when you will work, you have less time for rest, relationships, and hobbies you enjoy. And putting work over your own health and wellness often leads to burnout and exhaustion.

Taking care of yourself throughout your career means making non-negotiable rules about when and how you will work. You’ll also have to communicate your personal rules and learn to say “no” when your bosses and coworkers inevitably try to push your boundaries.

4. Take Vacations

According to a recent study, only 49% of people normally take all of the vacation time their employers offer. And even when people do take vacations, almost 70% of people use their phones or laptops to work while they’re supposed to be taking time off.

People need rest to live healthy lives. We also need time off from work and obligations to avoid burnout, show up as our best selves, and stay motivated to do anything for a long period of time.

If you want to build a rewarding career that will last years or decades, vacations are not negotiable. You HAVE to take time off to rest and explore life outside of work. So get to planning! Start by requesting at least a few days off within the next 2-3 months, and go from there.

[RELATED POST: 5 Revolutionary Tips for Improving Work Life Balance]

5. Speak Up When People Mistreat You

Workplaces are breeding grounds for interpersonal issues and conflict. People often stay quiet when their bosses or coworkers treat them unfairly because people who speak up are often called troublemakers.

But when you don’t report issues you experience at work, it’s more likely that the mistreatment will continue. This could ultimately hurt your career or livelihood if you’re being passed-over for promotions or being underpaid. Speaking up also gives you practice with advocating for yourself, which is a critical skill for a thriving career.

One of the main examples of self care is learning how to speak up and advocate for yourself when someone treats you unfairly at work. It can help to imagine what you would do if your colleagues were harming a young family member or mentee. You should speak up for yourself in the same way that you would advocate for others.

6. Save An Emergency Fund

Throughout your career, you may need to take breaks from work for many different reasons, including family obligations, health issues or burnout. You may also want to immediately leave a toxic workplace or take an unexpected opportunity to travel.

Less than 2 of 3 people can cover a $400 expense with cash, savings or credit card paid off at the end of the month. And 37% of people would have to borrow or sell something to pay for an unplanned $400 expense.

Self care for a lasting career includes taking care of yourself financially. You should start by saving an emergency fund so you can comfortably leave work whenever you need to. We recommend first saving up 3 months worth of expenses, but an ideal emergency fund will last you at least 6 months.