Expert reveals the best way to look after yourself whilst working

Self-care is extremely important and with that comes understanding where your happiness and health are at risk, with many believing that work is the primary cause. In fact, The Office for National Statistics estimates that there were 17 million working days lost to stress, depression or anxiety in the UK between 2021 to 2022.

Interested to find out more, Reboot SEO consultants looked into the significance of National Sickie Day and how to better help employees on a professional, as well as personal level in these unprecedented times.

Shai Aharony, Managing Director of Reboot Digital PR Agency commented on the significance of helping employees on a professional, as well as personal level.

“There needs to be a sense of a greater family environment whereby employees don’t feel isolated if they don’t know something or are struggling. A constant culture of ‘self’ and ‘team’ improvement is and always will be encouraged. Instead of continually overwhelming them with work, take the time to understand the way they work and how they want to develop in their role and then adjust for it.

The correct tools, approachable mentorship, a systems thinking approach and a constant constructive feedback network are all essentials to make this process work. Employees will not feel the need to fake illness or dread the thought of work because you are creating an employee-first culture, increases productivity and heightens happiness levels.”

With this in mind, Shai Aharony provided some tips on the best ways to create a better self-care and work-life balance:

1. Eat more healthy fatty foods

According to the World Health Organization, eating the correct food can boost mental acuity, drive, and overall productivity by up to 20%. Foods such as salmon have high omega-3 fatty acids content, which improves memory and mental performance, especially depression. It is also reported that the caffeine in dark chocolate helps you to feel more energetic and focused on the tasks at hand. It also contains magnesium, which is a natural stress reliever.

1. Have an ‘at-home’ spa night

Warm baths are known to help rejuvenate and improve mental focus, but are also amazing for relaxing the body and mind. Essential oils, bath salts, or bubble bath and even a fruity facemask can be great for having a mini spa night, and setting aside time for yourself is the perfect way to unwind.

1. Turn off technology

Reducing the time spent on our tech devices after work can be hugely beneficial, even on your lunch break, getting as far away from screens as possible is best for an afternoon reset. There are also apps that can manage how much time you spend on your phone such as ‘Focus Keeper’, ‘Smile Todo' and ‘Structured’ which is a great way to ensure screen time is kept to a minimum.

1. Learn to say “No.”

Saying no can be a difficult and guilt-tripping task but it is more than okay to not do anything after work. Staying in with a cup of tea and an old rom-com movie sometimes can be the best home therapy after a long, stressful day. Prioritising yourself first is key to perfect self-care work-life.

1. Don’t be such a perfectionist

It is difficult to achieve all of your goals in life, to maintain total control, and to excel in every aspect of your career. Take pride in the accomplishments you have and feel inspired by what you could do in the future.

Methodology:

1. Reboot SEO consultants wanted to find out how to improve the lives of employees as the number of sick days has increased.

2. To do so, they researched which industry sectors are most affected by workers calling in sick and what to do to improve the self-care and work-life balance through reputable sources such as Betterup, Office of National Statistics, Walesonline and Euronews.

3. Reboot SEO Consultants gathered five tips on how to create a healthy self-care work-life balance.

4. Shai Aharony of Reboot SEO consultants provided expert comment on what he thinks employers should to prioritise the wellbeing of their employees.

5. Data was collected on 24th January 2023, and is subject to change.