Self care is a critical component of mental health. Because it’s so important, we’ve put the value of Chill at the top of our list of values. The wonderful thing about caring for yourself is that you get to choose what works best for you!
Experts agree that exercise and fresh air are important, but eating your favorite food, getting enough rest, spending time with loved ones, and working on a hobby are also wonderful. To inspire you, we’ve collected some ideas from the Olark team.
To me (SarahB), taking time to self-care has always been difficult. I’m great at telling others to do it, just not so great at taking my own advice. I’ve learned though that if I don’t take the time to recharge, I won’t be able to bring my best self to work, to parenting, or to my partner. Anything I can do with my family helps me maximize my time, so watching funny movies, cooking our favorite foods, traveling, and working in the garden are all great options for me. If life gets to be a little overwhelming, I do quite enjoy a hot bath and an early bedtime.
Kate the Story Sherpa is an adventurous sort and loves to take off to the mountains of California to hike, backpack and ride bikes. She has also managed to work out some sweet house sitting deals where she gets to play with puppies all day! How can you be stressed playing with puppies?
Titan the chihuahua letting Kate know that it’s time for a break
NickC the Olark Director of Engineering has found that the best way to have a calm mind is to have a tired body! He enjoys his time at a local Crossfit gym. Nick also recommends the app Headspace to practice meditation techniques and has some delightful hobbies such as building miniature ships.
Brian the Customer Champion knows that man’s best friend is the best way to remember to take self-care breaks. His trusty pup Rocky is practiced at reminding Brian to take breaks during the day, go for walks, and to stop and smell the roses (and rocks, and random holes, and fence posts, and ….)
Kimberly is our HR and Culture Enthusiast. She is the one who reminds us to Chill in our weekly syncs and in our Slack room #self-care. Kimberly knows that being an example of taking time to chill makes it possible for others to do the same. She’ll even be covering this topic during her talk at SD Expo 2018. For her own self-care, Kimberly loves spending time at her favorite local cafe, tearing up a dance floor, traveling and finding the best eats in whatever location she’s in.
Our Design Conceptualist Tesha is an accomplished artist. With an entire wall painted in chalkboard paint, you never know what beautiful images will be appearing as the backdrop for a Zoom call! Creativity is something most people identify as a form of self-care, and Tesha shares this joy with others. She leaves a lower section of her wall blank so her friend’s small children can add their own drawings.
Kasey the Customer Communicator loves running. She also loves spending time away from the city with her family on vacations, and date nights exploring her fun city. Kasey takes care of herself by being mindful of her work environment. Instead of always working from the same place, she likes keep her mind fresh by working from home some days, a coworking space other days, and sometimes from a cozy coffee shop.
Our Recursive Metafunctionalist John is a proud dad to some pretty great kids. They have been on some fun family vacations, gone camping in the backyard, and most recently they helped protect a bird nest which was built in the garage. Watching baby chicks grow is a pretty fun way to #chill!
Barbara the Customer Support Panda is a favorite of our customers. All that chatting can leave one needing a break. Barbara recently discovered that shooing everyone out of the house and taking a day to do absolutely nothing is quite restorative. Sometimes the best self care is knowing when to go to bed and curl up with your favorite shows and food delivery!
There are endless ways to care for yourself. Here at Olark we know that we can only perform at our best when we are able to bring our whole, rested selves to work. And there is no right way to self-care! Is there something we missed that you find works well? Did anything inspire you? Tell us about it!
