It’s been a crazy few weeks in my house. Mother’s Day, working and other family obligations have kept me from writing. For that I apologize to you, my readers.
As I end this series, I would like to know if anything I’ve written has been of a benefit to you?
I’ve searched the world wide web for ideas to help you keep up with taking care of yourself, your family and even your pets too.
I’ve been writing this series for a few weeks now. If you’ve been following this series then by now, you should already know the definition of self-care.
My daughter shared something very thought provoking on her Facebook page a few days ago.
“Everyone is applauding everyone but OUR CHILDREN!!!! These little heroes have stayed indoors more than they’ve ever known in their lives. Their whole worlds have literally been turned upside down. All these rules they’ve never known. A life they couldn’t have imagined. All the things they love like sports, being with friends, going to school, or just being kids have all been taken away from them. Adults talking about others becoming unwell, news reporting death after death. Our poor children’s minds must be racing. Every day they get up and carry on despite all that’s going on. So here’s to our little heroes: today, tomorrow, forever ❤️ Copy and paste to celebrate our children and teenagers that have had to make immediate drastic changes to their lives. 💙🧡❤️💛💚💜”
After reading it again I thought about our children and grandchildren and what they must be going through not just emotionally, but physically also. Children need to feel loved, and reassured that this is not going to become a “normal” everyday thing. that they will see their friends again, play sports, swim, and all the other things they are used to doing.
Not only are parents and grandparents trying to learn how to deal with the stresses of The Unseen War Of 2020 and COVID-19, so are the teachers, school bus drivers, and everyone else that makes the function of our educational systems work.
Alessia Santoro is the editor of Popsugar.com in an article she gives this advice, ” A self-care regimen isn’t something that only busy parents who need “me time” should strive to have — kids, no matter their age, also need time to refresh and recharge mentally and physically, especially as they get older and more bogged down with school and work responsibilities. There are plenty of activities kids can engage in — whether alone or together as a family — that will help them to slow down, relax, take a breather, and hopefully feel less overworked, tired, and stressed”.
Yes, this sucks in so many ways. Yes, we can hold our families tight and say to each other, “We will get through this together”. Keep in mind that if you’re not taking care of your own needs, then you won’t be any good for your loved ones.
I hope you found this post helpful. Please leave a comment.
Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and ineffectiveness in the workplace, and by chronic negative responses to stressful workplace conditions.
Burnout is more likely when employees:
Expect too much of themselves.
Never feel that the work they are doing is good enough.
Feel inadequate or incompetent.
Feel unappreciated for their work efforts.
Have unreasonable demands placed upon them.
Are in roles that are not a good job fit.
In this article titled; “Workplace Strategies For Mental Health” by Canadian Life, the writer offers many signs that an employer should be aware of. Of course we all want the productive and happy employee’s in our workplaces. However; due to what’s been happening with the COVID 19 Coronavirus pandemic employers need to become more aware of their employee’s mental health needs.
If you’re still working, what’s your company doing to help boost mental health and moral? What would you want to see from management that would let you know they care about you?
The comments were very interesting. One person stated,
” We were provided with company logo masks, disinfectant sprays, extra pay for the month of April”.
Some people are receiving an extra bonus for working during this time because they were deemed to be an essential worker, yet others left the impression that management was ignoring their health and well-being.
Recognize signs and symptoms
Your employees may not realize that they are dealing with signs of being burned out on the job.
Some of the signs and symptoms that an employee experiencing burnout may exhibit include:
Reduced efficiency and energy
Lowered levels of motivation
Increased errors
Fatigue
Headaches
Irritability
Increased frustration
Suspiciousness
More time spent working with less being accomplished
Granted this article is written from the Canadian workforce perspective however, I find it can apply to any leadership team or managers anywhere.
As a manager where I work, I’ve found myself with feelings of frustration, inadequacy at times to perform the functions of my job, and anger at the owner and senior management for not showing the staff how anything they really care about them or their mental health.
Make your employees feel special
Leave your employees an email or little notes saying something like “Hey we are thinking about you and we’re doing everything possible to help all of us make it through this pandemic together”.
Don’t become one of those owners or bosses like an Ebenezer Scrooge.
Dig deep into your own pocketbook if you have to and show them you care!
Life is hard enough without having a pandemic in it. Choose to show kindness, understanding, and patience with your employees and make them happy and proud to be your employees.
Taking care of our feet are one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. Especially if one has a history of diabetes. Most of the time I’d go get a pedicure; however with most of the United States under self quarantine orders due to the Coronavirus all spas are closed as of the date I wrote this article.
1. Dr. Scholl’s foot inserts can help relieve foot pain from plantar fasciitis, energy gels for comfort and even athletic supports for ones feet.
You can find them at most retail stores, online through Dr. Scholls website and even Amazon. Prices vary depending on the item you need.
2. Straight Edge Toe Nail Clippers
According to a Miguel Cunha, DPM, founder of Gotham Footcare. “A straight-edge toenail clipper ensures the nails are cut straight across, decreasing the chance of ingrown toenails”.
Price points I’ve found run anywhere from $4.00 up to $20.00. The one from Toolworks cost $5.00 and you can purchase it online. You can purchase one here.
A corn is a type of callus that develops on the foot from an accumulation of dead skin cells. The hard, thickened patch of skin is usually found on the top, sides or tips of the toes, though soft corns can develop between toes. It is possible for friction to cause the corns to inflame, resulting in nerve pain when friction or pressure causes the corn to press down on the nerve below.
Okay so this isn’t a foot product but I needed a break, and I found this on my friend Denise’s Instagram.
The Health Feet Store has the PediFix Pedi – Gel Corn Pads for $14.95. This is the best website I’ve found for all ones foot care needs.
4. Foot Spa Machines
Groom and Style.com breaks down there top five foot spa machine recommendations in this article, Best Foot Spa Reviews by the different types of spa machines. Most of them contain some combination of water jets and waterfalls to create streams of bubbling water, rollers or wheels to massage the feet, vibrators to encourage blood flow, and a heating element to keep the water toasty. Not all machines will have all of those elements, so you’ll need to pick and choose the features of a foot bath machine to suit your preferences and your budget.
The Conair Foot Spa has basic features and depending on your budget, it may be the right one for you. Priced around $45.00 at Walmart.
My all time favorite bath products are from Castle Baths. There skin care products are safe and they use real ingredients in everything they make. Cancer free and there products are amazing.
Happy Birthday
The Happy Birthday Gift Basket has wonderful creams and lotions to treat anyone on their special occasion. The basket costs $82.95 and well worth every penny.
Take care of yourself because there’s only one you.
