Using Your Space to Promote Self-Care
Using Your Space to Promote Self-Care
Self-Care: From Loss to Gain
Regardless if we’re working remotely or onsite, some of us may focus on the things we’ve lost: : loss of communication, loss of mobility, loss of activities, all of which can have a negative impact on our own well-being. The Healthy Workplace Committee wants to challenge you to think of this as an opportunity to take time to participate in self-care- the practice of taking action to preserve or improve your personal well-being. An integral component of self-care is to focus on what we can gain versus dwelling on what we’ve lost. A great way to participate in self-care is to focus on making our spaces happy and healthy.
Ways to Create Healthy Spaces at Home
Whether working remotely or onsite, our home is where we spend most of our time; therefore, the state of our home has an incredible impact on how we feel both physically and mentally. Below are some resources on how to create a healthy home:
- Regardless of where you’re working, it’s important to create an environment that helps you focus. This is especially critical when working from home, where maintaining a clear division between your work and home life will make it easier to be fully present for both.
- Houseplants can have a huge impact on creating a healthy space. Not only can they add an aesthetic appeal to a room, but many plants have the ability to purify the air in your home. That’s not to mention the pride you take in growing them.
- Dedicating time to take breaks throughout the day is important for self-care. Without taking breaks, your overall well-being can suffer. These breaks play a key role in helping you de-stress and re-charge for the rest of your day. There are a variety of ways to participate in healthy breaks on the Healthy Workplace Websitewhile working remotely. If you are working onsite, there will be an announcement that will reveal some locations where you can safely take breaks on campus within the coming weeks.
- Make your home a healthy space for not only humans but for wildlife.
- Ontario Plant Restoration Challenge
- Creating a butterfly friendly garden
- Creating a pollinator friendly garden
- UseIn the Zone to track your progress in hosting Indigenous plants and wildlife
Working from Home with Children
Many McMaster employees have had to adjust to not only working from home, but working from home with children. This presents unique challenges to the McMaster community in how to structure a workday and maintain productivity while spending meaningful time with children.
Below are some resources staff and their children can access from a variety of local institutions directed to educating and engaging children online.
- Art at home
- Weekly online workshops at the Art Gallery of Hamilton
- Classroom activities at the Royal Ontario Museum
- Nature at home:
- Conservation Hamilton
- Grand River Conservation Authority
- David Suzuki : How to get kids into nature
- Royal Botanical Gardens
- Education at home:
- Play and Learnis an online tool co-created by experts in child development at McMaster University, to support parents in challenging their children in engaging activities that can help them learn, grow, and thrive.