Good news: Self-care enters the corporate world!
You don’t know what a pleasure it is to write this post and share this good news with you!
I spent over 15 years in the corporate world at some of Canada’s major media companies. For many of my years there, I loved it. I had incredible opportunities, I learned so much and I still connect regularly with countless people I met during that time. I also struggled during my time there and would ultimately have to take a leave to go to rehab and sort my life out. During that period, mental health was not discussed and I very much felt I had to hide my persona life.
This is not to say we might want to discuss such personal struggles at work even today. However, I’m encouraged to see more open conversations about well-being, self-care and mental health. I hope that by these resources being discussed and shared, people have more self-awareness and can find better ways to cope than I did.
Finding joy
To me, finding joy doesn’t mean we have to up and leave our jobs. Hopefully, we’re in jobs that we enjoy and that we find fulfilling. Every job will have its short-comings and tough days but, when we look for the joy and take care of ourselves, everything can shift. Recently I had the opportunity to speak to an HR Leadership team and their conference every morning for 3 days. This meant a lot to me because we really set the tone for the day. How amazing is it that the people taking care of the people are also taking care of themselves??? I also reminded them (just like I always remind you!) that it’s the simple things they do every day that make a big difference.
Self-care every day
Self-care every day is really the message I want to impart. Instead of thinking as self-care as an event, can we look for simple ways to listen to ourselves and take care of ourselves every single day? We are partnering with a major Canadian advertising agency to put our Self-Care decks on the desks of every employee returning to work. What kind of amazing message does this send? I love it.
If you’re an employee
If you’re an employee, I want to remind you that your life is yours. Of course, you will need to perform and you will want to do a great job. However, that and your own well-being are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when you take care of yourself, you will be a lot happier and that will show up in your everyday approach to life and work. I want you to think about your day and what will make you feel good. You might need to schedule some walks, listen to your favourite music or you may need to be better hydrated. What are all of the simple ways you can take care of your mind, body and spirit every single day?
If you’re the employer
If you’re the employer, empowering your staff with the tools and resources for self-care is essential. It’s awesome working with corporate teams – whether it’s providing our card decks or offering inspirational sessions. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you. Please contact us via e-mail at joy@mayyouknowjoy.com if you would like to learn more.
What I love about this
I have been in the corporate world and I understand the stresses and pressures. In fact, they really got to me. I love that we can share simple tools to help people find more balance and know they’re supported. I realize there’s a level of vulnerability that may never get shared in the workplace but, simply talking about mental health and introducing people to new ways of looking at things and approaching their day is a huge step in the right direction. My ideal is for people to love the work they’re doing, show up in a vital and healthy way and encourage their employees and peers to take care of themselves.
You can also find us on Instagram @mayyouknowjoy and LinkedIn if you want to be inspired and learn more about what we’re up to.
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Beautiful Self-Care Started Kit
Perfect ritual set to inspire your daily self-care practices.
Choose a card from the Self-Care Starter Kit intention card deck