How can you encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care?

1 Why self-care matters

Self-care is not selfish or indulgent, but a way of taking care of your basic needs and ensuring that you have the energy, resilience, and motivation to perform your tasks and achieve your goals. Self-care can also help you prevent or cope with stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and other common issues that affect many higher education professionals. By prioritizing self-care, you can improve your productivity, creativity, and quality of work, as well as your relationships, communication, and collaboration with your colleagues.

2 How to model self-care

One of the best ways to encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care is to model it yourself. This means that you practice what you preach and show them that self-care is not only possible, but also beneficial and rewarding. For example, you can set healthy boundaries, communicate your needs and expectations, take regular breaks, delegate tasks, ask for help, celebrate your achievements, and engage in activities that nourish your body, mind, and soul. By doing so, you can inspire your colleagues to follow your example and respect your choices.

3 How to support self-care

Another way to encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care is to support them in their efforts and challenges. This means that you offer them empathy, compassion, and appreciation, and avoid judgment, criticism, or pressure. For example, you can listen to their concerns, acknowledge their feelings, validate their experiences, offer feedback, share resources, suggest solutions, or simply check in on them. By doing so, you can create a culture of trust, care, and mutual support among your colleagues.

4 How to promote self-care

A third way to encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care is to promote it as a value and a norm in your work environment. This means that you advocate for policies, practices, and initiatives that foster self-care and well-being among your colleagues. For example, you can propose flexible work arrangements, reasonable workloads, fair compensation, professional development opportunities, wellness programs, or social events. By doing so, you can influence the decision-makers and stakeholders in your institution to recognize and address the needs and challenges of your colleagues.

5 How to collaborate on self-care

A fourth way to encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care is to collaborate on it as a team and a community. This means that you invite them to join you in your self-care activities and practices, and create opportunities for collective self-care and learning. For example, you can organize a group meditation, a book club, a lunch break, a workshop, or a retreat. By doing so, you can strengthen your bonds, share your insights, learn from each other, and have fun with your colleagues.

6 How to evaluate self-care

A fifth way to encourage your colleagues to prioritize self-care is to evaluate it as a goal and a process. This means that you help them to assess their current self-care practices, identify their strengths and areas for improvement, set realistic and achievable self-care goals, and monitor their progress and outcomes. For example, you can use a self-care assessment tool, a self-care plan, a self-care journal, or a self-care buddy system. By doing so, you can empower your colleagues to take charge of their own self-care and make it a habit and a priority.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?