Tips to Maintain Your Mental Health at Work
29/05/2021
For most people, they’ll spend more time at work than at home. That’s why choosing a career you enjoy, and an environment that you will thrive in is so important.
But no matter how much you enjoy your job, there still might be times when it all feels a bit much. Whether you’re feeling stressed from a high-pressure situation in the office, or there’s something at home affecting your state of mind, it’s safe to say that everyone has had a bad day at work.
Mental health support is becoming a much more important aspect in many work environments, so whether you personally struggle with your mental health, or you know someone else who does, there are 5 key points that can help to foster a positive conversation surrounding mental health at work.
1. Talk About It
The first step in supporting mental health is talking about it. This can be difficult, you might feel too anxious to speak out about your own mental health, or perhaps have felt as though you were interfering by asking someone else about theirs.
Nonetheless, talking can help you work through a problem much more logically, especially with someone else’s advice. Whether it’ a best friend, work colleague, sibling or a professional counsellor, talking about the issues you’re facing can be extremely beneficial.
Whilst at work, it’s important to find a colleague with who you feel at ease, and someone who you know will be supportive. If you have a senior position within the company and you are seen being open about how you feel, it will absolutely encourage others to do the same.
2. Try to Stay Active
It might sound cliché, but getting out for some fresh air can do wonders for your mood. It doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym every day, but now and again why not use your lunch break to take a walk.
Staying active can boost your self-esteem and even help you sleep, which is a huge factor in your mental health. Encourage your team or colleagues to get involved in something sporty; making it something you actually enjoy doing is often half the battle.
Particularly if you work in an office environment, doing something active is so important after sitting in front of a screen all day.
3. Eat Healthily
What you eat can really affect how you feel. Whilst unhealthy food might be convenient if you’re short on time, sometimes you might end up feeling sluggish and tired as the day goes on. Plan your meals and bring in food from home to deter from any bad habits.
Many office environments now invest in a ready supply of fruit and healthy snacks for staff to try and encourage a healthy workspace. If you feel physically healthy, this often transfers to feeling much better from a mental health point of view.
If you are feeling stressed, perhaps try to avoid caffeine where possible as this can sometimes exacerbate the symptoms.
4. Maintain Good Relationships
When it comes to your colleagues, it’s important that everyone feels secure and confident. It’s important to be respectful of each other, as well as sensitive to each other’s moods when possible. You often don’t have a choice in who you work with, so make the best of it!
Being a part of a supportive team can be incredibly helpful in supporting mental health at work. It’s also key to learn how to deal with tension or negativity amongst your team. Work politics can present many challenges, so ensure you have a few good relationships you can rely on when times get tough.
This extends to family and home relationships too. Work-life balance is a huge factor in matters of mental health.
5. Ask for Help
No one should have to suffer in silence, and struggling with your mental health is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or just unable to cope, it’s important that you have someone in mind you can ask for help.
If you need to use your annual leave and give yourself a break, you are more than entitled!
No matter how you’re feeling at work, it’s important to be supportive of each other and open the chance for a conversation about mental health.
If you do feel you are seriously struggling, why not take a look at the resources available at Mind – the mental health charity.
Related Guides
There you have it, our top five tips to maintain your mental health at work.
If you're a small business owner, have you ever considered how much your business could be worth?
Did you know, you can get a FREE and instant business valuation tool? Check it out below:
Click Here to Use Our FREE Business Valuation Tool
Get quick and easy insight into the real value of your business, without any obligations.
At Intelligent, all our experts use a specific formula that will give you a free and highly accurate baseline valuation so that you've got a figure to work with that most realistically resembles the value of your business.