PRIORITIZE YOURSELF MICROSTEPS

Schedule time on your calendar for something that matters to you.

Whether it’s going to the gym, going to an art gallery or seeing friends, setting a calendar reminder will help you hold yourself accountable.

Go to bed just a few minutes earlier than you usually do.

Even 5-10 minutes earlier a night will make a difference. The incremental change will be so small you won’t even notice, but after a week the impact will be significant.

Take a hot bath or shower before you go to sleep.

Treat your transition to sleep as a sacrosanct ritual. A bath or shower eases the transition and helps you symbolically wash the day away.

Build recovery time into your day.

Take a tip from top athletes who introduce small recovery rituals into their game. Simply stop what you’re doing and bring your awareness to the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, or both. Let it stay there for a minute, and feel the tension leaving your body.

Take a short walk and focus on your breathing.

You can still your mind even when you’re moving your body. If you’re in a place filled with noise and distractions, a quiet walk can help bring you into closer contact with yourself, your breath, and the world beyond your workplace.

Observe your breathing as you deal with your emails – to pull yourself out of automatic pilot.

It might sound trivial, but it’s not. Eighty percent of us hold our breath for short bursts of time while reading our emails, which disrupts our breathing and increases stress.

Set aside just a few minutes each night to write in a journal.

Writing by hand is a calming counterpoint to typing on devices, and a great way to collect your thoughts and identify what you're grateful for without digital distractions.

Read a book in bed that has nothing to do with work.

A novel, biography, book of poetry or spirituality -- as long as it’s a physical book or e-reader that doesn’t emit blue light.

Ease yourself into sleep by meditating in bed.

Even a few deep breaths will help ease your transition to sleep. Check out meQuilibrium, JPMC's online resilience program, for short meditations. If you don’t meditate, try playing a guided sleep meditation on your iPod.

Take advantage of moments of “micro-rest”.

Identify moments of micro-rest, which can be as short as one minute, and use them more effectively by stretching or practicing deep breathing. You’ll reduce your stress and improve your productivity.