These days, when it can feel like we’re always on the clock working from home, it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves, especially after a long and trying workday. Caring for our well-being, and putting in the time to re-centre ourselves with a self-care routine, can have a positive impact on more than just our personal life. Self-care is also a great way to make sure that we’re bringing our best to our work and loved ones.
The trick is to find the right routine for you, because achieving that perfect work-life balance means something different for everyone. Amazon Pay’s marketing team takes self-care seriously, and all of its members have found successful ways to incorporate rejuvenating activities into their daily routines. Amazon Pay’s Head of Marketing, Kelly Wenzel, shares her passion for taking care of yourself:
“My self-care routine can be summed up in three key words: breathe, move, sleep. Breathing sounds pretty basic, but the fact is, when we’re stressed we breath more shallowly (without even realizing it). The benefit of slow, deep breathing has been proven to change your brain chemistry and lower stress response. Check out box breathing (hey, if it works for the Navy Seals, surely it can work at Amazon).
Second, make sure you are moving every day. I’m pretty regimented about my exercise routine: 6am daily, without fail. There is so much science here about the benefits of movement: reducing stress, helping sustain focus.
Last, but not least, the newest (and arguably most important?) ingredient in my self-care: sleep! After years getting by on ~5 hours, I woke up (pun intended!) to the reality that sleep is a biological imperative, and that our level of rest is directly correlated to our level of performance. High performers sleep 8:36 per night, whereas the Average American gets 6:51. I’m still working on it!”
You can learn about all five takeaways for better self-care by downloading the PDF. In the meantime, here are three essential pillars of self-care that can help bolster you throughout the day and rejuvenate you when it’s over.
Meditation
A meditation practise is a sure-fire way to improve your well-being. According to study conducted by Google and Roche, employees that used the Headspace app for eight weeks reported a 46% reduction in depression and a 31% reduction in anxiety.[1]
Exercise
There are so many cognitive benefits to exercise it’s hard to list them all: It can positively impact everything from your concentration to your creativity. That’s why so many members of the Amazon Pay marketing team have made the time to regularly hit the gym, even while working from home. For Erin Peralta, Senior Manager, Global Brand and Content Strategy, daily runs are an important part of her self-care routine. “Running clears my head,” she says, and “makes me feel strong (usually), and is good for my health!” Jennie Westfall, Lifecycle Marketing Manager, also follows a running routine as part of her self-care regimen. She does a one-two punch, first by running and then “recovering with yoga,” she says.
Hobbies
Hobbies aren’t just for kids. Building in time to pursue your passions outside of work is an important way of letting off steam, nurturing yourself, and encouraging your creativity. Amazon Pay Marketing Manager Catalina Geib has been making time for singing, which she loves to do not only because it’s expressive but also because it’s soothing. “It calms me,” she says. And EU Marketing Specialist Giovanni Busi has found himself enjoying the high-paced, low-stakes fun of table tennis. “In this moment of COVID, I’ve reverted back to ping-pong games to de-stress,” he says. Busi’s love of ping-pong is a good reminder that a good hobby doesn’t have to be serious. The point of a hobby is to have fun – so don’t be afraid of getting a little silly if it makes you happy.
To learn a few more self-care tips, download the 5 takeaways for better self-care to learn about what else you can be doing to improve your well-being.