Self-care is what we do to care for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. What self-care looks like will depend on who you ask; think about the things you do (or would like to do) that help you destress and enhance your well-being.

Regardless of what self-care means to you, the most important thing is that you practice it! Not only is self-care different for different people, your self-care needs will change over time. For many of us, it can take a lot of time and effort to learn how to incorporate self-care into our lives.

Just like you would block out time on your calendar for a meeting, block out time for self-care. During this allotted time, practice self-care. At the beginning, it may be hard to relax and focus on yourself when there are so many things you need to do, but don't give up. With practice, self-care will become easier and more natural.

Setting boundaries is difficult and your choice to do so won't always be respected. If work or school is intruding on your personal life, make clear your availability/non-availability and set a standard for communication (i.e., how long will it take you to respond, how far in advance do you need to be informed of deadlines, etc.).

We also have to set boundaries with loved ones. These conversations can be especially difficult, but keep in mind that having boundaries doesn't mean you don't care. Emotional labor is real, and it can burn you out easily if you don't keep it in check.

Being harsh on yourself for neglecting self-care won't do you any good. Forgiving yourself for being imperfect is self-care. If you are struggling to build self-care into your routine, you don't need the added weight of that guilt. None of us are perfect people, so be kind to yourself.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to self-care. Find out what works for you. In this TED talk, an emergency room doctor talks about triaging your responsibilities. Check it out!

Ultimately, our lives are dynamic. We need to learn how to prioritize according to the current situation we are in. Sometimes this will mean letting some things go.

It's hard to get a sense of the culture of a workplace until you have been working there. Talking to your future coworkers, mentors, and managers is one way to get a feeling of the culture. Are they approachable? Ask them questions about their job, including overtime.

Read in between the lines while getting your questions answered. People may not feel comfortable answering certain questions honestly, but what is their body language telling you? Do they seem excited and passionate about their work? Are their answers generic or vague?

Yes, setting boundaries has been listed twice. This is because it is very important. Setting boundaries can be uncomfortable, but it is worth it in the long run.

Not every environment we find ourselves in will be supportive and changing the culture is too much for one person to do. Boundaries are less likely to be respected in toxic environments, which makes it even more important.

You may even have to explicitly teach people to respect your boundaries. This may include having to tell people how to talk to you or setting up autoreply on your email to remind others that you won't be answering emails outside of your work hours.

Changing a work culture is a long and difficult process. Realistically, you may not be able to make any changes if you are not in an authoritative position or if the company isn't ready for change.

While time consuming, researching the company before joining will help you decide whether this is a company you want to work with and be prepared for what could be coming your way.

Talking to former employees is the best way of learning about the company culture and ethics. They will be the most willing people to share the honest truth about working there.

Reading the company's vision/mission statements can also give you a glimpse but take information published by the company with a grain of salt as words are not always reality.