Focus: Mental Health
Eight ways to improve your mental health at work
As we continue to adjust to different working conditions and work environments it is vital, we take care of ourselves and our mental health. The past two years have been challenging and taking
care of our mental health and building resilience has never been more important. We need to make it a conscious part of our
everyday forming good habits that will lead us to better mental health.
This article is
W
hen it comes to the workplace, even small changes can bring about tangible benefits. These small changes over time will amount to a high impact on our health and wellbeing. Consistency is the key. Small steps to begin. We spend a lot of time working. We may also spend time commuting to and from work in addition to the time we are physically at our place of employment. These hours add up each day. While our work is important it is also important to keep in check the hours we spend working, outside normal working hours. It is good to check in regularly and assess whether we are doing everything we can to minimise stress and increase productivity. Stress is an everyday part of our lives. It is important that we learn how to effectively cope with daily stress. Finding daily activities will help release the different stressors in our life. It has been increasingly difficult of late to manage stress, keep our work hours in check and take care of our mental health with our work being affected in some way by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Some of you may be working remotely from home. Others may be working from an office or about to return to an office. Whether you’re working remotely or not, sometimes, just a few small changes could be all you need to help you feel that little bit happier at work. 1) Set achievable goals. Seeing a whole list of unticked boxes isn’t a great way to the end your workday. Try making a list at the start of every day that you think you can achieve on that day. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many tasks as this will add to your stress levels. Divide bigger tasks into sections and tick things off as you go. Reward yourself when you have completed your list. 2) Talk about your day. Talking can be a great way to process the day’s events and receive support. Make yourself accountable to a friend or family member by booking in a regular coffee date or phone call. Check in regularly with your manager and ask for support when needed. 3) Set boundaries for ‘me time’. Put some time in your diary to recharge and not think about work. Turn your phone
Tim Hoopmann, Speaker and Trainer Experienced founder with a demonstrated history growing small business. Strong entrepreneurship and professionally skilled in Business Planning, Cloud Technology, Sales, Marketing, and Operations Management. A passion for helping small businesses use technology as a key enabler to increase productivity and decrease costs. A volunteer speaker for beyondblue, an Australian organisation that works to raise awareness of anxiety and depression, reduce the associated stigma and encourage people to get help.
or emails off during that time to allow yourself to have a proper break and pursue something that will help you unwind. Disabling notifications on your phone can also be a great way to reduce your focus on your phone. Finding relaxing tasks should be a daily thing – whether it’s time for family, friends, exercise or watching your favourite TV show. Choose something you enjoy. 4) Cut out timewasters. If you’re in a busy work environment, you may find that there are certain tasks (or people) that you don’t enjoy spending time on. While it can be hard to avoid necessary activities that need to be done, try to limit your involvement and make more time for things you do enjoy. Focus on the key activities and deliverables that will ensure you complete your key tasks each day. 5) Get your steps up. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. While we may have good intentions to walk each day and place it on our to do list, we often sacrifice it when we get too busy. Exercise can be great way to clear your head when work starts to take over. Start small by walking for 10-15 minutes. Try walking an
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