Maintaining good mental health at work is essential to prevent stress, anxiety and burnout. Here are 4 tips to improve your mental health in the workplace.
When people talk about work, they talk of perhaps jobs they have to do from nine-to-five that typically involve something they went to college for. In your case, work might be the place where you get to showcase your training to earn a living, perhaps for yourself or for your family.
Given the different natures of jobs, it’s not uncommon to hear that there are instances where some people don’t necessarily enjoy the jobs they have. Some might have jobs they take because they have to, or some have jobs to do that they don’t necessarily like and they want to pursue something else.
Regardless of the reason why you have your work, it’s important to understand how to improve your mental health at work, as your mental state can help determine your outlook towards your livelihood.
Keep in mind, however, that the tips you read below aren’t necessarily the be-all, end-all solution for your mental health needs.
A registered counsellor or therapist is still the most qualified to be able to give you a good direction towards where you should improve when it comes to your mental health and outlook at work.
You can get free online counselling for depression, relationships, careers, health and more on AskSHEROES free online counselling chat helpline for women.
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How To Improve Your Mental Health At Work
According to YouGov and Business in the Community, 60-percent of employees actually experience mental health issues in 2016 due to workplace-induced stress and anxiety.
This means maintaining your mental health in the workplace is essential not just to ensure productivity, but to also maintain a good work-life balance. Here are some tips on how to improve your mental health at work:
1. Get To The Source
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of improving your mental health at work is to get to the root of the problem: what exactly are your “triggers” and how can you deal with them?
When we talk of triggers, these are specific instances that trigger a negative response on your end, especially when it comes to stress, anxiety, and depression.
Knowing what these are and how to deal with them can greatly help ground yourself and find focus in what you’re doing.
- Try to take time off to reflect on what you feel and what you think about a situation that’s stressing you out in order to get to the root of your problem. What could be contributing to what you’re feeling, and what do you think could you do to avoid these situations?
- Triggers can take the form of things you don’t normally do, or specific tasks, such as presentations, or getting regular appointments. It can also be the lack of the things mentioned.
2. Disconnect When Necessary
It’s just as important to focus on yourself just as you are when you’re working. This means you have to be able to manage your time at work and off from work.
If it’s possible to request shifts or having flexible hours, try to do so and get a schedule you are most comfortable. If not, try to assess your current schedule and try to find a workaround in order to still be able to do the things you like.
- Sometimes, things that stress you out are related to tasks you want to do within a timeframe that has yet to open up. This means studying your current schedule and trying to get opportunities to do these activities appropriately can greatly relieve you of stress.
- At the same time, it’s just as important to respect your hours off work. If possible, try not to bring your work home and vice versa. Feel free to tell your coworkers if you’re going to be out in certain hours so you can’t be reached. Turn off your smart devices, laptops, and other gadgets that can make you think about work. Try your best to get enough sleep and exercise.
3. Talking Helps
Sometimes, one of the best solutions to problems about mental health in the workplace is to actually talk about it with someone, be it with a colleague you’re close with, your human resources manager, or your supervisor.
This might be able to help you help them be aware of your situation, and they might be able to find some ways to assist you with the situation.
- This can allow you to be qualified for programs of the company related to time management, stress management, and even get free online counselling.
- These might even motivate the company to take more measures regarding mental health concerns of workers.
- Just talking about it can be a good release as not only does it help you open up to your colleagues, but it can also help cultivate a nature of trust between you and them.
4. Practice Self-Care
When we say think about yourself, it doesn’t necessarily mean being selfish. However, you should be more mindful of how stress can affect your body, and how a body in duress can worsen stress.
Remember that stress has a variety of physical effects as well, which can be detrimental to your progress at home and at work.
- This means try to get as much sleep as possible whenever you can rest. If unable, try to at least get opportunities after work to be able to unwind. Physical activity is also a good way to relieve stress, and it can help you be fit.
- Dealing with personal injuries can also be the reason why you’re stressed from work. Regardless of why and when you’ve incurred those injuries, you should seek medical attention and legal help (if needed) right away. Injuries can worsen by the minute and you don’t want that to interfere with your career.
- Try your best to maintain a balanced diet, as a healthy mind and body can help you be more focused at work.
- Taking a mental health day at work is not a bad idea if the stress gets to you too much. Consider speaking to your HR person and making a specific request for this purpose.
Conclusion
Finding ways on how to improve your mental health at work isn’t just a matter of finding ways to love and appreciate your work, but to also find ways to maintain a good work-life balance so you don’t necessarily get burnt out or overwhelmed with changes.
Understanding these methods carefully and trying to apply them to your current work can help a great deal when it comes to improving your outlook towards work in general, and it may even motivate you to be a better performer – not just for a raise or a promotion, but because you end up liking what you do.
If you need a professional to talk to, you can get free online counselling for depression, relationships, careers, health and more on AskSHEROES free online counselling chat helpline for women.
Author Bio: Dianna Charles is a promising young law enthusiast that hopes to bring her youthful spirit in her field. She tries to add a refreshingly modern take to topics in the legal world that people can learn from. Dianna enjoys her free time with friends and family and loves to cook for them.
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