Self-Care Tips for Activity Professionals

Navigating challenging times can be immensely stressful and overwhelming. Whether you're dealing with work-related pressures or personal life demands, it's crucial to find ways to prioritize self-care and maintain your well-being.

Caring for yourself is not selfish; it's a prerequisite for effectively caring for others. Here are some practical self-care strategies to help you.

Recharge at Home

Your time away from work or other responsibilities is invaluable for recharging. To make it easier to relax at home, consider these ideas to unwind and rejuvenate:

• Enjoy a soothing hot shower or bath.
• Take leisurely walks in your neighborhood.
• Spend time on your porch or patio, savoring the fresh air.
• Connect with nature by tending to your plants or garden.
• Host spontaneous dance parties with loved ones or dance solo.
• Occasionally, let household chores wait and simply sit down to relax.
• Watch a comedy show or engage in activities that bring you joy.
• Temporarily disconnect from screens, such as TV and social media, to clear your mind.

Find Calm Moments at Work

Work-related stress or the demands of daily life can take a toll on your well-being. Here's how you can create opportunities for calmness without adding extra work:

Give yourself and your team the gift of calm moments without adding extra work to your already busy day:

• Schedule time for each team member for breaks; make sure everyone is taking time away from their duties for at least 15 minutes twice per shift
• Clean off your office desks; less cluttered spaces lead to increased creativity and decreased stress
• Diffuse lavender essential oils in your activity office
• Have flameless candles in your activity office
• Plan morning and afternoon check-in meetings as a team; everyone says how they are feeling, what they are worried about, what they are thankful for
• Write encouraging phrases on post-it notes and put them on the office door so staff see it (a simple  “I’m thankful for you” works wonders)
• Practice stress-relief techniques, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and physical relaxation exercises.
• Go on walks during your lunch break
• Encourage everyone to drink plenty of water (perhaps start a hydration challenge?)

Delegate Wisely

Recognize that you don't have to carry the weight of all responsibilities on your own. Consider delegating tasks to capable individuals around you:

• Develop new activity ideas
• Create 1:1 schedules
• Create and copy activity packets with independent leisure materials
• Update care plans
• Disinfect and wipe down equipment or supplies
• Create new activities or craft projects using materials you have in your supply closet
• Research new ways to use technology in your program
• Update your social media feed

Your mental and emotional health is deeply connected with your physical health. While it can seem daunting to have one more thing to think about, your brain and emotions can benefit greatly when you implement even just a few of our recommendations.

So, tell me: how are you doing lately? What strategies have you found effective for maintaining your mental health and overall well-being during demanding periods?