May Is Mental Health Awareness Month: Start the Week with Self-Care

Congratulations on getting to the final days of yet another semester. Faculty are busy finalizing grades; staff are focusing on all the end-of-semester details, while supporting students and other colleagues with their plans for the next semester; and we are all excited to witness another group of NOVA Nighthawks cross that graduation stage!

Staying busy is easy. Staying well-rested, though — now there’s a challenge.
According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith in her book, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, this time of year is a season when seemingly everything on the “to-do list” is a number-one priority. Though it’s natural to keep trying to fit in just one more task, sometimes we forget the toll that hard work can have on our minds and bodies. It’s also normal to feel that others are depending on you too much to take a break for yourself. You’re not alone in this struggle; we all encounter stressful periods. But running out of gas helps no one — least of all, you. This week, disconnect from stress with some simple self-care tactics.

Here are some quick self-care tips you can practice wherever you are right now:

At Work:

• Go for a walk — Feel the air, a change in temperature or the warmth of the sun. Look at the clouds.
• Take a breather any time, any place — Take a pause with some deep breathing. Fill your lungs by taking a good, deep inhale. Hold it for a beat, then exhale slowly and fully. Do this repeatedly for a minute or so, until you feel a sense of calm.

At Home:

• Water works — Don’t discount the benefits of a warm bath. Take a digital break from your phone and/or computer.
• Sleep! — Here’s the prescription: Go to bed early, read, relax, do some bed yoga, sleep soundly and wake up refreshed! It’s the perfect medicine for longevity, health and balance.
• What’s your favorite restoration technique? Use habit stacking to help maintain a desired habit using the brain’s natural tendency to want to automate practices. 

Either at Home or at Work:

• Yoga moment — At your desk or in your living room, do some relaxing moves. Try chair yoga or do a quick sun salutation. If you can’t do the whole sequence, stand up, reach your arms up to the sun and look at your hands, swan dive with arms out at your sides, then touch your toes — or get as close as you can! Do this a few times until you feel your body unwind.
• Call a colleague or friend — Catch up and share the latest. This will boost your happiness and is a natural way to destress.

Caring for yourself is just as important as caring for others. Try it. We think you’ll agree, it’s good for you! Remember, use the Monday Check-In to help support your wellness efforts. Each week, take what you need and leave what you don’t!

Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu