How to Manage Your Mental Health in the Workplace
Many people believe they have little control over professional stress, yet there are a few simple ways to de-stress.
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Work out your physique.
Exercise has several mental health benefits that have been thoroughly documented.
Bench presses in the gym over your lunch break aren't required to be physically active. If things are getting too much for you, take a little walk around the block. If time allows, do this on a regular basis. A change of location can help you to feel better.
Tip: If you feel like you've failed yourself by not exercising enough, remember that any activity is better than no exercise at all.
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Train your mind
The stress-relieving advantages of contemplative activities like yoga, meditation, and Tai Chi are well-known, in addition to physical exercise.
Even a basic controlled breathing technique might help with job stress management.
Consider having a workshop or training session in conjunction with World Mental Health Day and R U OK Day so that everyone can benefit from new stress-relieving practices.
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Make an effort to achieve a better work-life balance.
The ability of office stress to follow us home is one of the most pernicious effects. Working long hours reduces the amount of time you spend with the people you care about. Instead of vegging out on the couch or in front of the television, have a plan.
Purchase tickets to an event or rekindle an old activity and plan your next vacation so you can look forward to more time and relaxation.
Tip: Not every vacation has to be extravagant. A simple weekend break or even a day excursion might help you relax and cope with work stress.
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Put off work emails after hours.
Unless your employment requires you to always be on call, simply turn off or ignore your work email after hours.
Establish limits for yourself and others, including at work. There's nothing wrong with being explicit about when you're working and when you're not. Even at work, taking breaks is an important element of coping with work-related stress.
Consider having a device-free evening once a week to spend quality time with friends and family.
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Strive for a good night's sleep.
While we're all guilty of staying up late on a school night, making a conscious effort to keep to a normal bedtime will help you get the quality sleep you need to cope with work stress.
Going to bed with your mind still buzzing isn't good for sleep. Set an evening switch-off time after which you will not use your devices.
Reading in bed before going to sleep is not only relaxing. There's a lot of evidence suggesting it has a lot of other advantages, like making you a better communicator and enhancing your memory.
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Discuss it.
Workplace stress is usually caused by a combination of factors. Writing down the problem could be the first step toward recognizing and properly managing all work stress.
Although you may not want to burden people with your difficulties, talking them through with someone you trust might help you gain a fresh perspective and better manage workplace stress.
Employee help programs are also available at many companies (EAP). Don't think you won't be able to use such a service; after all, that's what it's there for.
Don't put it in a bottle. Allowing things to simmer until they reach boiling point will undoubtedly increase your stress levels.
Workplace stress is usually caused by a combination of factors. Writing down the problem could be the first step toward recognizing and properly managing all work stress.
Although you may not want to burden people with your difficulties, talking them through with someone you trust might help you gain a fresh perspective and better manage workplace stress.
Employee help programs are also available at many companies (EAP). Don't think you won't be able to use such a service; after all, that's what it's there for.
Don't put it in a bottle. Allowing things to simmer until they reach boiling point will undoubtedly increase your stress levels.