You know that moment when you realize you’ve been running on empty for weeks, maybe months? When the Sunday night anxiety feels heavier than usual, when you snap at someone you care about over something trivial, or when you can’t remember the last time you felt genuinely rested? That’s your mind and body demanding attention.
Self-care isn’t about bubble baths and face masks, though those can be nice. It’s about the fundamental practices that keep you functional, focused, and capable of handling whatever life throws your way. It’s the difference between barely surviving your week and actually having the mental resilience to tackle challenges without feeling like you’re constantly on the edge of burnout.
The problem is that most of us treat self-care as optional, something we’ll get to when things calm down. But here’s the truth: things rarely calm down on their own. Without intentional self-care practices that address your mental well-being, physical well-being, and spiritual well-being, you’re not building resilience, you’re depleting it.
Self-care is the set of self-care practices that keep your body and mind working well. It is not a reward. It is basic maintenance for your well-being.
When you skip self-care, your stress builds. Your focus drops. Your patience gets thin. Over time, your mental resilience gets weaker, and burnout prevention gets harder. When you practice self-care, you restore your mind, recharge your energy, and you can handle work and life with more steadiness.
Use this simple self-care checklist to spot what you need most right now. Pick one item and start there. Small steps beat big plans; you never repeat.
Self-care checklist:
- Sleep hygiene: Did I get enough sleep most nights this week?
- Physical well-being: Did I move my body for at least three days?
- Mental well-being: Did I have quiet time without a screen?
- Emotional health: Did I name what I feel, not just push through?
- Spiritual well-being: Did I do anything that felt meaningful?
- Work-life balance: Did I protect at least one boundary at work?
These are self-care examples that support long-term well-being. They are also the base for resilience. You do not need to do all of them today. You only need to choose one self-care habit you can repeat.
If you want this to stick, make a personal well-being plan that fits your real schedule. Start with 10 minutes a day. Add more later. A daily self-care routine is built by repetition, not intensity.
To renew your mind and feel happier at work, try these three suggestions:
How to Renew Your Mind
- Stop over-anticipating
I have noticed some of my leadership coaching clients stuck in a rut, spinning their wheels as they try to anticipate the future. That’s natural, but give yourself a break and limit how much of it you do. Instead, accept uncertainty and focus on renewing your mind in the present. - Stay connected
Sometimes when stressed, it’s tempting to avoid people, but connection is crucial. Take time for social interactions with those who recharge you, whether you connect remotely or in person. When you are with someone, remind yourself to be fully present and listen to the other person. - Pause and reflect
A great way to restore your mind is to pause and reflect. Note what triggers stress and anxiety for you and try a pause breath.
Research shows deep breathing, or abdominal breathing, reduces stress by increasing oxygen levels in the brain and bloodstream and clearing out carbon dioxide in the lungs.
When stress spikes, your body goes first. Your heart rate rises. Your breathing gets shallow. Your mind races. Nervous system regulation helps you shift from threat mode back to steady mode.
Deep breathing is a fast stress management tool because it changes your body signals. Keep it simple. Put one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Try to move the belly hand more than the chest hand. Breathe in through your nose for four counts. Breathe out for six counts. Do six rounds. Longer exhales are a strong form of anxiety relief.
Mindfulness does not mean emptying your mind. It means noticing what is happening without fighting it. That supports emotional regulation because you can respond instead of react. A quick practice: name three things you see, two things you hear, and one thing you feel in your body. This pulls attention out of worry loops and helps you renew your mind.
Coping strategies work best when you plan them before you need them. Choose one tool for work and one tool for home. At work, use a 60-second reset between meetings. At home, use a short walk or a stretch before you start your evening.
If you want a simple phrase to calm the mind, try: “I can do the next small step.” This supports mental resilience because it turns stress into action.
Over time, these self-care techniques help you restore your mind, protect emotional health, and keep your energy from crashing. They also make it easier to stay kind and clear when life feels heavy.
How to Recharge your Physical Well-Being
Renew your energy
Are you fueling your body with the right foods? A healthy diet is essential to wellness of both mind and body, while a poor diet with too much sugar or too many processed foods can make you low in energy.
Stay well-hydrated. It’s easy to forget to drink a glass of water, but try filling a carafe with water in the morning and keeping it in your workspace so you’re reminded to drink.
Exercise is important, but you don’t have to spend hours at the gym every day. Physical well-being is one of the fastest ways to recharge your energy because it supports your brain, mood, and stamina. You do not need extreme fitness. You need consistent basics. Aim for three anchors in your daily self-care routine: move, fuel, and sleep.
Movement can be small. A 10-minute walk counts. Two short walks can be better than one long workout you skip. If you sit a lot, stand up once each hour and stretch your shoulders and hips. This supports stress management because your body holds stress in muscle tension. Fuel matters too. If you skip meals or rely on sugar spikes, your energy will crash. Try one small upgrade: add protein at breakfast, or add a full glass of water before your first coffee. Hydration supports focus and mood.
Sleep hygiene is the biggest lever for burnout prevention. Pick one change you can keep: a consistent bedtime, a darker room, or no screens for 20 minutes before sleep. Better sleep helps restore your mind and makes emotional health easier the next day.
These self-care practices look simple because they are. Simple is what you can repeat. Repetition is what builds long-term well-being.
Manage your energy ‘leaks’
Are you treating your energy like the valuable, renewable resource it is? An important part of restoring your energy is addressing your energy ‘leaks’. Some examples of energy leaks include toxic relationships, technology addiction, and unclear boundaries in your work life balance.
When you recognize your energy leaks, you can take steps to address them. Sometimes, that means saying no. Believe it or not, saying no can often lead to amazing recharge and work impact!
Workplace Stress Management That Supports Mental Health at Work
Workplace stress management is not only about doing less. It is about doing what matters with clearer boundaries. When work pulls from every direction, your productivity and well-being both suffer.
Start by naming your biggest energy leak at work. Common leaks are unclear priorities, too many meetings, constant messages, and weak boundaries. Pick one leak and adjust it this week. Try this boundary script: “I can have this by Thursday, or I can prioritize the other project. Which is more important?” This protects work-life balance because it forces a real choice.
Mental health at work also improves when your job feels meaningful. If you feel stuck, reconnect to what matters to you. Meaning reduces stress because effort feels more worth it.
Values help too. When your choices match your values, you feel less inner conflict and more calm. If your stress shows up as sharp words, quick anger, or shutting down, that is emotional regulation, not a personality flaw. A practical resource is respond, not react. Use one technique when you feel triggered in a meeting.
When you reduce energy leaks and protect boundaries, you build resilience. You also make room for self-care habits that keep you steady across busy seasons.
Renew your spirit
Be honest about your feelings
This has been a challenging time and it is okay to share these feelings, whether it’s with a trusted friend or in a journal. Some people find meditation a great way to create ‘space’ and let go of what is weighing them down.
Make time for yourself
Take time for your spiritual practice, whatever that means to you. Spiritual well-being is not only religion. It is whatever helps you feel connected, grounded, and guided. It can be nature, prayer, service, art, quiet, or community. It helps you feel steady when life is uncertain.
If you want deeper support, explore spiritual nourishment. Then pick one practice that fits your life. The best practice is the one you will do.
Now turn your ideas into a personal well-being plan you can follow. Choose one habit for each area: mental well-being, physical well-being, and spiritual well-being. Keep each habit small.
Example plan:
- Mental: two minutes of deep breathing before email
- Physical: 10-minute walk at lunch
- Spiritual: five minutes outside with no phone
This is long-term well-being work. It builds resilience through small daily choices.
If you are already depleted, you may need burnout recovery, not just maintenance. In that case, use how to deal with burnout for a fuller reset plan and clearer next steps. The goal is not to have a perfect balance every day. The goal is a steady return to center. When you protect your energy, regulate your nervous system, and live with meaning, self-care stops feeling optional. It becomes how you stay well.
It could be being more mindful, going on more walks, or enjoying nature, yoga, or anything that connects you to your values and purpose. When you take time for yourself, it can help you focus on what your purpose is and feel more centered.
Mix things up
Explore life by venturing outside of your comfort zone or doing things a little differently. Go to an art gallery, explore a museum, or try something creative like finger painting! Make an occasion out of a meal at home, whether it’s a leisurely Sunday brunch or a candlelight dinner (even if it’s leftovers!) Add some new weekend activities that are enjoyable and bring more excitement into your everyday life.
by Beth Benatti Kennedy, MS, LMFT
For more on this topic, check out Beth’s book Career Recharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout
