What is International Self-Care Day? 💜
International Self-Care Day is an annual global event that takes place on July 24th every year. The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of practicing self-care and promoting healthy lifestyle choices that can improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
On International Self-Care Day, individuals are encouraged to take time to focus on their own well-being and engage in self-care activities such as exercise, healthy eating, mindfulness practices, and other activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional health.
The day is also an opportunity for healthcare providers, policymakers, and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of self-care and promote policies and programs that support individuals in their efforts to maintain their health and well-being. 💪
Why create a fun culture around self-care? 🤔
Anyone who’s ever juggled any combination of career, family, and social life can attest that prioritizing fun and wellness can be a challenge.
If you think you don’t have the time or resources to consider integrating employee mental health as a key part of your company culture, consider the number of resources used to put out the fires of high turnover and decreased productivity that can come from collective employee burnout. That’s not even including the number of resources that go into making up for extended absences caused by physical health conditions exacerbated by poor workplace mental health.
When companies incorporate fun health initiatives into the workplace culture, they have everything to gain:
- Increased productivity
- Higher retention rates
- Decreased healthcare and disability costs
We can all agree that good mental health helps us to be better colleagues, better partners, and better people overall.
Companies need to create an environment in which each member of the team has the tools to reduce anxiety and depression and support a balanced lifestyle for the long term. Luckily, with self-care activities, doing so can be entertaining and rewarding!
Try these fun self-care activities for adults 🥳
Now that we’ve gotten the consequences of inaction out of the way, it’s time to focus on the fun part: fun! Fortunately, one of the results of shifting support towards reducing employee stress levels and burnout is, well, having a good time.
When you have an inclusive and open company culture surrounding mental health issues and well-being, you are creating a positive work environment and reducing the stigma around mental illness.
Here are five initiatives that leaders or human resources professionals can include in their employee experience program to encourage more fun and self-care activities in the workplace:
1. Create something green
When employees work together creatively, they:
- Create pathways for open communication
- Gain experience creating strategy and problem-solving skills
- Feel empowered to innovate in other aspects of the company
Consider appealing to your company’s current eco-initiatives. Staff can participate in the Terrarium Workshop and learn how to brighten and maintain their workspace by creating their very own micro-garden. Plus, plants are proven to have great mental health benefits!
Here’s how to get started 👉 Make your space greener with a Terrarium Workshop!
2. Get movin' 💃
If you want to help your employees practice self-care, physical movement is the way to go. Regular exercise leads to:
- Increased confidence
- Gym buddies with which to grow your social circle
- Healthy coping mechanisms for everyday stress
Looking for a way to gain all three of these benefits? Consider signing up for group fitness classes. With hybrid and totally virtual options, your employees can break a sweat with your colleagues with options ranging from Strength Training to Yoga, from wherever works best for your team.
How to get started 👉 Raise the bar on self care by booking a Fitness Class for your team!
3. Breathe & recenter 🧘
By focusing on deep breathing, you might just end up with a couple of pleasant side effects like:
- Stress relief
- Reduced blood pressure
- Improved focus
- Heightened immune system
Maybe your friend telling you to “just breathe” hasn’t always been the support you were looking for. But teaching employees how to practice meditation and use breathwork techniques is a great way to continue supporting employee health in your company.
Consider sitting down with an expert by taking our virtual meditation course where your team can get answers to questions like “What do I do if I get distracted?” and “How long should I meditate?”
Take that breath work to the next level, by participating in a Sound Bath Meditation session. In this immersive experience led by a sound therapist, employees will find their unique path to relaxation using different frequencies of sound as their guide.
How to get started 👉 Clear your mind in a Meditation Class!
4. Laughter Yoga 😂
As it turns out, laughter is pretty powerful, especially for your employees. Getting your regular chuckles in can:
- Reduce stress levels (which, perhaps, take the largest negative impact on employee wellness)
- Improve your immune system
- Relieve pain
- Improve overall mood
- Help people manage mental illness
As funny as it might sound, one of the coolest ways to reap all of these benefits is in a Laughter Yoga class!
Building on a foundation of breathwork and creative collaboration, this course allows employees to learn a new technique to brighten their own outlook and gives them the opportunity to truly let loose with their co-workers.
How to get started 👉 Laugh the stress away in Laughter Yoga!
5. Vision Board 💭
We all live such busy lives, so the best self-care activity involves taking time to go inward and reflect.
Vision boarding is more than just a creative exercise; it’s a powerful tool for visualizing goals and dreams. Plus, when done in a group setting, it fosters mindful conversation and collaboration. This collective experience allows team members to connect on a deeper level, understanding each other's motivations and dreams.
The act of vision boarding blends aspects of creativity, quiet mindfulness, and social connection, making it an ideal activity for strengthening group bonds in our busy lives.
How to get started 👉 Spend time visualizing your personal growth in a Vision Board Workshop!
6. Cook a delicious meal 🧑🍳
Promoting self-care in the workplace can be as delicious as it is beneficial.
Learning to prepare healthy meals equips your team with the knowledge and skills to make better food choices. This can lead to improved physical health, increased energy levels, and better overall well-being. Healthy eating habits are foundational to maintaining good physical health and can prevent a range of chronic conditions.
Cooking is a therapeutic activity that allows individuals to focus, relax, and enjoy the process of creating something nourishing, which helps everyone relieve stress and improve mental health.
How to get started 👉 Practice mindful eating with a BYO Healthy Cooking Class!
7. Get some sunshine ☀️
One of the simplest yet most effective self-care activities is to get outside and soak up some sunlight.
- Exposure to sunlight increases the brain's release of serotonin, a hormone associated with improving mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. This natural mood booster can significantly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being.
- Natural light helps regulate the body's internal clock, leading to better sleep patterns. Encouraging your team to spend time outdoors can result in more restful nights and increased energy levels during the day.
Encourage your team to block some time on their calendar to get outside and soak up some rays. Whether you can organize walks with a colleague (virtually and in-person) around the block, sit outside on a lunch break, or plan an outdoor team building event, the benefits are endless.
8. Last but not least: Connect with colleagues 👥
In today's fast-paced and competitive work environment, it can be easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget about the importance of social connection with colleagues as an act of self-care. Connecting with colleagues in a friendly way is not only a great way to boost morale and team spirit, but it is also an excellent self-care practice during the workday.
Taking time to connect with our colleagues in a friendly way helps build a sense of community at work, which helps employees feel more connected to their work and colleagues, improving overall job satisfaction as well as a greater sense of fulfillment.
Here's how to get started 👉 Here are some easy ways to find connections and strengthen group bonds throughout the workday:
- Coffee breaks: Take a virtual coffee or lunch break together and use this time to chat and get to know each other better. ☕️
- Share a laugh: Laughter is a great stress reliever and mood booster. Share an entertaining story from the weekend or joke with your colleagues and enjoy a good laugh together. Here are some icebreakers if you need help getting started. 😆
- Celebrate milestones: Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, or other milestones with your colleagues by bringing in treats or organizing a small celebration. 🍾
Prioritize self-care and make workplace mental health awareness fun ✨
At the end of the day, the workplace environment plays a large part in whether your employees have good or poor mental health. Helping your employees implement self-care practices not only increases connection and employee engagement, but it makes breaching the topic of employee mental health enjoyable.
Prioritizing employees' health at work can be a blast. It’s time to shake the stigma that focusing on mental health in the workplace needs to be done alone and in silence. Check out the experiences we curated for you and your team’s mental health and overall well-being, perfect for International Self-Care Day or Mental Health Awareness Month.
With Confetti, you can pick and plan your experience in as little as 5 minutes today!
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