We all know how important it is to practice self-care and the negative effects of stress on our health. However, as much as we may try to not be stressed, life is stressful sometimes! (Anyone else grateful the weekend is almost upon us???)
The past few weeks have been particularly busy and challenging at work and even though I love my job, stress is never fun. To combat stress over the years, I’ve crafted my own “self-care kit” for the office and I think I’d probably lose my mind some weeks without these items. Since many of you have been excited about my recent posts on self-care, I thought it’d be fun to share these with you as well so here we go!
1. Healthy snacks
Of course food is the first thing on my list. 
I get low blood sugar very easily and I definitely can’t think straight when I’m hungry. Since I work in an office and have lots of meetings with clients throughout the day, I always keep nuts and various snacks at my desk to make sure I have things within reach. (And, of course I practice self-care by having a hearty breakfast and healthy lunch as well.)
2. Environment
A long time ago I worked in an office under florescent lighting and it was just about the most miserable experience I’ve ever had. I’m very sensitive to my environment and thrive in an area that feels peaceful and beautiful. However, since we can’t always handpick our work environment, I do my best to make my space feel as homey as possible regardless of circumstance. This means bringing in plants, a nice table lamp that has a pleasing light, and making sure my body is comfortable while I’m working. I’m lucky enough to have a sit-stand desk and it has changed my life at work so if you have the option to have one at your office I highly recommend it.
3. Happy Light
If you live somewhere dark and dreary for most of the year (ahem… Seattle) you definitely need a happy light. After ten years in this city I finally broke down and bought one this year and I love, love, love it. I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner. It boosts my mood and definitely makes me more productive at work. My favorite benefit is that it definitely makes me feel more energetic and awake on dark mornings which means I don’t have to rely on caffeine for an energy boost.
4. Lotion
Okay, I know this one sounds a bit boring, but hear me out for just a second. Yes, lotion is nice for keeping your hands moisturized (I love this brand), but I keep it around my desk to remind me to give my hands a break from the keyboard and treat myself to a hand massage. On days when I’m feeling particularly stressed, this is always a nice treat, is completely free, and only takes a couple of minutes!
Here’s the simple massage that I do:
Start by stretching out the fingers, then rub the palm of the left hand with the right thumb, applying pressure from the base of my palm near the wrist out to each of the fingers. Repeat this on the right hand.
Then squeeze the web between your left index finger and thumb several times. Repeat on the right hand.
I usually end by stretching my wrists out. To do this, extend the left arm out with the palm facing up, then bend the left hand backwards using the right hand until you feel a moderate stretch. Hold this for about 15 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
5. Essential Oil
I couldn’t survive without my essential oils and when it comes to de-stressing, nothing beats this Chill Pill blend. When I’m having a tough day, I love to mix a drop of this with the lotion before I do my hand massage to get the benefits from aromatherapy as well as the massage. Also, if you suffer from tension headaches like I do, I have to mention that this doTERRA tension blend does wonders. If I feel a headache coming on, I’ll rub some on my temples and it usually helps to get rid of the headache altogether, but at the very least it helps to lessen the pain.
6. Herbal Tea and Teeccino
I always keep a wide variety of herbal teas at my desk and some of my favorites include:
I’ve mentioned Teeccino here on the blog before because I absolutely love it! Teeccino is an “herbal coffee” that tastes and smells very similar to coffee, but doesn’t have any caffeine. Instead, Teeccino is actually made up of nuts, dates, chicory root, carob, and figs. It’s one of my favorite replacements for coffee, especially because when I’m stressed the last thing my body needs is more caffeine. You can see my recipe here for how I drink it.
7. Natural Calm Magnesium Supplement
Due to soil depletion, even with a healthy diet very few of us are getting the magnesium we need. And, since magnesium deficiency is linked to symptoms of stress, anxiety, and panic attacks (just to name a few), magnesium is one of the few supplements I take on a regular basis and these Natural Calm packets are my easy way to supplement at work or on-the-go.
8. Herbal Tinctures
Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts and are made by extracting all of the beneficial properties from the herbs using alcohol as a solvent. The tincture is then diluted in water or tea and consumed. My all-time favorite tincture is Herb Pharm’s Nervous System tonic. This blend of skullcap, St. John’s Wort, celery seed, and lavender is incredible at calming my nerves on a busy day or before a presentation. I also frequently use The Herbalist’s Kava Kava Plus blend to relieve anxiety and stress as well as wind-down before bed.
9. Headphones/Earbuds
Anyone who works in an open-concept office knows how loud it can get so a set of headphones or earbuds go a long way. One of my favorite ways to practice self-care and de-stress during a busy day is to listen to podcasts, Matchbox Twenty (don’t judge), and different comedians on Pandora (my favorites are Tig Notaro, Aziz Ansari, Ellen Degeneres, and Iliza Shlesinger). Laughing always helps me to lighten up so especially on busy days when I don’t have time for a lunch break or quick walk, listening to something funny while I’m working helps me get a better perspective.
10. Lip Balm
And finally, I don’t think a list of self-care essentials would be complete without lip balm. I’ve been making my own for awhile now and my favorite thing about crafting your own is that you can customize them to your preference so I love to add lavender and peppermint to my balms for more aromatherapy benefits.
What are your favorite self-care essentials for the office? Leave suggestions in the comments below!
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