In a world where people are "always on," self-care often isn't a priority for busy executives and employees. It can be difficult to turn your attention away from your screen for some much-needed R&R, but self-care is important for achieving greater productivity, workplace happiness. and personal and professional success.

It's critical to assess your office environment and workforce to determine which small things are having a significant impact on your productivity. Planning and executing strategies for improvement is something business owners and employees do every day - you can use that same approach to increase your focus on self-care and personal wellness. It will benefit you, your employees, and your company as a whole.

When you hear the term "self-care," you may instantly think of spa days and meditation. While those are a couple of common examples of self-care, practicing self-care is so much more than that. Self-care is when someone does something to support their physical, mental, or emotional well-being. To take it one step further, self-care in the workplace involves taking specific actions to support your well-being so that you can be productive and engaged at your job.

For example, if you have a stressful day at work, you may want to curl up with a good book at night to take your mind off things. If you sit at your desk all day, self-care might involve a 30-minute walk outside in the middle of the workday. If you're loaded with too much work, self-care can even mean saying no to helping someone else with another project. Everyone has unique workplace stressors and needs, so what constitutes effective self-care for you may look different to your colleagues.

Self-care is used to improve physical, mental, and emotional health - a combination that is essential for staying productive over a long period of time. Stress is a hazard in the workplace and costs businesses more than $300 billion a year, according to Stress.org. When left unmanaged, stress can have a major impact on your well-being and productivity.

For example, stress can have physical effects on your body, such as high blood pressure, headaches, upset stomach, chest pain, and sleep disruption. These health issues can be minor distractions or be severe enough to cause employees to miss work altogether, reducing productivity. Physical self-care techniques, such as regular wellness screenings, exercise, healthy eating, proper sleep, and relaxation techniques, can help employees stay physically healthy and ready to work.

Workplace stressors can also cause emotional and mental health problems, such as anxiety. depression, burnout, disengagement, and lack of focus - all of which often lead to reduced productivity in the workplace. Mental and emotional self-care techniques allow employees and business leaders to press a reset button and address these issues before they start to have a financial impact on your organization.

Remember that fostering a culture of self-care is an ongoing process that requires commitment from both leadership and employees. It's essential to create an environment where self-care is not seen as a luxury but as a fundamental aspect of maintaining a healthy and productive