6 ways to take care of your mental health at work

1 in 4 people suffer with mental health problems and yet so many stay silent without receiving the help and support they need. Try to treat your mental health the same way your would treat your physical health, you wouldn’t ignore it and you may even talk to others about it too.

Working can be very stressful and become a trigger for many people’s mental health problems no matter what they may be. Making sure to take care and look after yourself even during working hours is important to avoid burnout and prevent further problems for yourself.

What can you do for yourself?

Movement

• • Movement matters and can make a huge difference in your mindset without you realising. The Mental health foundation began their May campaign surrounding the importance of movement and how this can provide you with so many benefits. Studies show that movement and exercise can reduce stress, improve sleep and more so including this in your daily routine is important.

• Movement does not have to include running or going to the gym, it could be a lunchtime stroll, taking the stairs instead of the lift in the office, walking part of your commute or joining the cycle to work scheme if you can. There are little things you could switch up everyday to ensure you get some movement into your routine, especially If you work at a desk normally.

Connecting

• • Connecting with people through your work day can lead to positive effects and reduce loneliness. This could be difficult if you work from home or struggle to make the social move. Joining a club or group could help you find a way to naturally do this while you learn a new skill or hobby.

• Working from home might reduce your social interactions but if you live in a city you might be able to find co-working spaces where you could have others around. In the office you could take your lunch with a colleague, share a lift to work, offer someone a tea or go over and talk to someone new.

Clear spaces

• Take care of your work space and treat it well. If you work space makes you more stressed then take a moment to clear things away, reorganise, buy a plant for your desk or add more personal items if you can. If you work from home it can help to have a designated work space that isn’t used after work so you can separate the two clearly and leave work at the ‘office’. The same goes if you have to bring your work home from the office, try to make sure this isn’t done on the sofa or in bed so you can keep your safe spaces that way.

Setting boundaries

• If you are working longer hours than you should often then this could add to your mental fatigue and stress. Many jobs demand higher workloads and time spent on them however working longer hours does not always equal better quality work. If you are stressed, tired and overworked this could lead to poor work and unproductive hours spent. If you took care of your self and began a new day fresh then you could get more done within your allotted hours.

Setting boundaries is an important step to take and could alleviate your stress significantly.

Learning

• • Learning and setting goals can help you feel sense of accomplishment and progression. This could be at work or a hobby you are interested in. Take a class in something new or an area you have always been interested and set yourself time to be able to explore this fully.

• Within work, you could ask your superior for ways your could progress or an area you could learn more about. You can ask your colleagues from a different department about their roles and learn from them. Setting yourself goals for the week which you can tick off on Fridays could help you end the week. This could be things like, finish the report, send the email you have been putting off, try a new lunch spot or clearing your desk.

Mix it up

• Keeping your days new and interesting during the week to avoid boredom and making the week feel longer. For some people, when everyday feels this same this can lead to feeling unsatisfied and they can lose motivation. Make an active effort to switch things up. Change your route to and from work, try new recipes for meals, if you work from home maybe try a new location whether that’s a local library or coffee shop. Try these small things to change your week and give yourself a new outlook.

Taking care of your mental health is always important and shouldn’t be ignored, even if you are busy at work. If you are struggling try to reach out to a colleague or manager that could help you at work.