Throw It Out Thursday: Finding Value No Matter Where You Work
We have been in this “work from home” mode for quite a few months now, so naturally the judgment of it from either side has been going on too. Trust me, I get it, it doesn’t matter where you work or don’t work, it is tough right now to get through our days. My point being, this Throw It Out Thursday we are going to toss out judging any situation we or others find themselves in, we all need some self care and self love. So go enjoy some daily fresh air/outdoor/nature healing, and have more grace for yourself and others along the way.
As a Spa Owner and Holistic Esthetician, having to do my job from home has been interesting to say the least. The one saving grace is that, aside from my physical job as a Skin Therapist, 60% of what I do for our Spa is digital marketing, social media and mostly computer work. So when I first shifted to working from home, I was pretty ok with it. That changed when I realized I wasn’t the only one…
Here are some things that you know about working from home but don’t really realize their impact on your sanity-
There are a lot of noises throughout the day we don’t live with and they can be a daily occurrence, and completely out of your control. You might find yourself going stir crazy from lack of actual social interaction, this “cabin-fever” can lead to shortened nerves and a sudden turn from your normal, sunny disposition. The lack of bandwidth… You loose track of days, which seems to be surprisingly common more recently. This loss of days, loss of connection, and layers of frustrations can lead to depression, feelings of isolation and more. Now, I never finished my degree in Psychology, but I know from my personal experience, that this is an unhealthy cycle if left unchecked.
Even if you are not working from home, the daily stress of going to work amidst a pandemic, social unrest and dealing with society is not any easier. Needless to say, no matter what your work/life situation looks like right now, everyone is going through it. We are all experiencing struggles, whether it’s an obvious one, or an internal battle. COVID-19 and everything we are facing currently is showing us that taking care of yourself and your mental well being is really, really important, and that only we can do it for ourselves. We can’t show up for others if we aren’t first showing up for ourselves. A change in each of our mindsets can move us all in a more positive, healthy direction.
Balance is easier said than done, but there are tools and resources to help us cope and handle all that comes our way. The hardest part about any of the tools/techniques is that YOU have to do it. You have to motivate yourself enough to do these things for yourself, and actually do it don’t just post a picture on social media, even having a buddy to hold you accountable is putting the pressure off yourself and on to something else. You gotta do the work.
One of those tools available to us is meditation. Meditation has been around forever, but was always left under the guise of Eastern philosophies, a part of existential Buddhist practices, or for hippies and stoners. Over the years, it has grown and adapted to fit into our busy lives, and allow us to hit pause and slow down, no matter where we are. Now, with the tap of a finger, we can even practice it from the comfort of our own homes, LIVE. More and more of us are getting on the meditation band wagon, and for good reason, according to the thegoodbody.com;
Key Findings and Statistics about Meditation
Over 14% of US adults have tried meditation at least once.
Since 2012 the number of people practicing meditation has tripled.
Meditation is almost as popular as yoga in the US.
Women are more likely to meditate than men.
The value of the meditation market is set to double from $1.2 billion in 2017 to $2 billion by 2022.
General wellness is the number one reason people give for meditating.
It is believed that globally between 200 and 500 million people meditate.
These are just statistics on those using meditation and its growth, but the benefits of meditation and mindfulness are abundant! Try it out for yourself to see if it is something you’d like to add to your self care routine. Visit our YouTube channel (icon at bottom of page) to watch our Guided Meditation series, or go to our homepage to sign up for Dr. Alice’s Monday Meditation via zoom.
So meditation isn’t your thing? Not a problem, just going outside for 20-30 minutes and getting in some walking, or simply time with nature can make a profound impact on our well-being. So can listening to music, motivational audiobooks, crafting, long chats with old friends and cooking! There are so many things we can do to boost our mood, and thus boost the energy we put out there. What I have found over these months in lockdown is that I have to make an intentional move towards my wellness and mental sanity. My peace and my happiness is not for someone else to hand to me, I have to create it, and sometimes that requires the addition of noise cancelling headphones…
I’m keeping this blog short, because let’s face it, we don’t have super long attention spans anymore and still a lot on our plates. If there is one thing you take away from this Throw It Out Thursday, I hope it’s an understanding that we are ALL experiencing hardships whether you can see them or not and to find simple ways to bring some joy into your day so you don’t get caught up focusing on someone else’s. Go ahead and throw that judgement of yourself and others right on out the door, you don’t have time for that.
Till next time, be good to your skin and even better to yourself,
xx eri