Self-Care Tips to Keep Yourself Happy and Healthy

Why do we so often fail at self-care?

Many different factors can come into play. From frantically trying to meet deadlines, to driving the kids to and from school. From being too consumed with social media and technology, to putting everyone’s needs before ours, there’s almost always something holding us back from taking care of ourselves. Psychology Today wasn’t lying when it said: “Me-time is usually last on the agenda.”

When Peak Support COO Hannah Steiman posted about self-care on her LinkedIn page, she received a lot of interaction from her connections.

Who could be better at providing self-care tips than our agents, right? Peak Support builds high-performing customer service teams for growing companies. The work can be demanding, requiring absolute focus, exceptional problem solving skills, and having the ability to handle stressful situations calmly. We’ve also been 100% remote since day one, so we know how to manage self-care challenges that come with a work-from-home set-up.

We asked some of our team members for self-care recommendations, and here are some good ones that we got:

Alone time. Find something that you feel strongly passionate about and allow yourself to indulge in it at least once a week or as needed. For me, it’s binge-watching anime, TV series, listening to my favorite band or simply having a nice massage with a relaxing essential oil filling my room.

A hug. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I step away from my desk and solicit a hug from my daughter or husband, or ask a kiss from our fur baby.

Sleep. Whenever I can, I make sure to get enough rest and sleep as the human body needs to recuperate and be prepared for the next round of stress-busting week.

– Dianne Guansing, Team Lead

Grocery shopping. My quick fix happens during grocery shopping. It’s one thing that I don’t have to force into my schedule, something I have come to enjoy doing, and an activity that somehow allows me to slow down. I normally go when the stores open, so I don’t join the crowd in the rush hours. Going through supermarket shelves picking out healthy (and some unhealthy) options for our weekly meals has become such a treat for me.

Aerial dance. One other activity I love doing that gives me my dose of self-care and makes me feel fit and alive is aerial dance. It’s ironic because it’s a rather demanding workout. It requires your 100%; otherwise, well, you fall. However, its high demands compel me to put aside everything else and commit to the workout and the art completely. Plus, I get to sweat out the toxins and increase my endorphins during the practice, leaving me healthier and happier each time.

– Lizzy Yee, Training Manager

Unplug. During rest days, it helps when you go on short trips to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, swimming or renting out a mountain cabin to bond with family and friends (Provided you follow strict safety measures and precautions of course.)

Pause. If you’re experiencing stress at work – stop and try to examine what’s causing it. More often than not, issues surface because you come in unprepared. Identify what the pain points are and plan your next steps to get rid of or address all of them. Preparation is ALWAYS key.

Feed your personal joys. Happiness is a choice. What counters stress is happiness. Reconnect with what makes you happy, whether it’s spending time with family, drinking with friends, buying shoes, etc. It may be the opposite of what I’ve mentioned, but just be smart about it. You know yourself better anyone. We only live once, so make it count.

– Al Abalos, Senior Manager

Set intentions and write things down. Whether I set yearly resolutions or not, writing down my goals for what I want to achieve is the first step towards attaining them.

Manage time wisely. Equally as important is being intentional with how I want to spend my time. This is a good place to prioritize self-care. Time is so precious and streamlining how and who I devote that time to is almost as important as the end goal.

Celebrate achievements. Whatever my goal is, I make sure to determine markers and milestones to celebrate the achievements along the way. Committing to a new routine is HARD! From prioritizing healthier eating habits and a new workout routine, to adjusting my schedule to fit in 7 to 8 hours of sleep – celebrating that progress is often much more beautiful than perfection.

Start a wellness log. I find it easier to use a wellness log for setting those goals, tracking your habits and progress and logging in length of sleep, water intake, and more.

– Nina Pineza, Human Resources Manager

Learn new skills. Since the threat of the pandemic is still on and we’re forced to stay at home, I use my free time watching YouTube videos. I get to learn new skills from watching, and I also recently enrolled in a trading course.

Stay connected . COVID-19 stopped us from socializing physically. To maintain close connections with my friends and family I make sure to check in with them often (calls, video chats, texts, and through social media messages). This helps me take care of my emotional health and make sure that my friends and family are healthy too.

– Garri Faizal, Quality Assurance Associate

Haircut!

– George Tillotson, Senior Director, Business Development

Relax. Go on a vacation.

Start a new hobby. Whether it’s baking, cooking, biking or paddle boarding. You’ll never know if you like it not unless you try.

Discover hidden talents. Discovering a new skill or talent can be very fun. Who knows? You might just be the next great magician.

Pamper yourself. Going to the spa and getting a massage can really help you to relax and relieve stress from your mind and body.

– Jaswin Orbe, IT Associate

Don’t be afraid or ever feel the need to apologize for taking care of yourself and your mental health. Because when you feel good, you’re more likely to spread love and positivity to the people around you. Slow down and take it easy. Life is short, but it’s beautiful. So take the time to enjoy it.