Mental health is very important to ensure especially while at work which can impact your personal well-being and professional success and satisfaction. Dealing with challenges in professional tasks should go hand in hand with self-care strategies to aid in lessening the level of stress, averting exhaustion from work, and enabling you to reach your productivity goal. Looking after your mental health at work is essential for both your well-being and your productivity. 

Here are some practical tips for managing stress and maintaining mental health in the workplace:

1. Start your day by being mindful of your actions and routines 

 How you begin your day is very crucial to the overall outcome of your day. When you wake up 

 and start checking your phone, your social media, and your newsfeed, you are overwhelming 

 your brain early in the morning with so much information. Some are unpleasant signals for your mind. You are instructing your brain on how to start your day, and if this becomes a habit, it can cause distraction and disturb your mood the entire day, which in turn can impact your day at work. Train your mind to focus on more productive things and mood-boosting practices such as walking, gym, yoga, journaling and meditation. Reading an inspiring book to start the day is also another way of starting your day right. 

2. Setting up your boundaries

Work and personal life should be taken into consideration separately. We should know our limits in accepting tasks as part of our workload. It’s okay to say ‘no’ and provide alternative solutions, rather than swamping yourself with workloads that you cannot finish. Workloads that are too high may lead to undesirable and unsatisfactory results and stress. Checking emails and notifications from work should be done during working hours where possible. Similarly when you are working, you should avoid checking on personal notifications other than emergencies. Focus on your work. Simply put, don’t bring work at home, and so as home-related concerns to work. 

3. Do not forget to take a breather. 

It is okay to have a break. In fact, you need to prioritise it. Give yourself time to inhale and exhale. Have regular breaks from your work to reset your mind and body. Utilise it for stretching, relaxing, or even taking a short walk when there’s enough space and time. Lunch breaks give you ample time to energise. Take your mind off work and just enjoy your food. Take your break on time. You may even want to consider breathe work techniques to help provide short circuit breakers during stressful work situations.

4. Plan your tasks and goals for the day 

To prevent yourself from being overwhelmed and stressed out, you may learn to simplify complex tasks by breaking them down. Don’t do everything altogether. For example you can start with the easier ones and attend to one thing at a time. Or another strategy is to “sandwich” your tasks, taking tasks that bring you joy and putting them before and after a task that is something you find less satisfying. There are tools online to help you manage your tasks, including to-do lists and calendars for you to be in control of your schedules and duties. Organisation helps to provide well-regulated work outcomes without being stressed or burned out. In other words, manage your time wisely and effectively. 

5. Learn to focus on your positive aspects, skills and strengths

We all know our mind controls our body. Whatever we put into it, the body follows. With that, try to focus on your positive characteristics, your advantages, your best set of skills, and your strengths. Avoid thinking about what you lack, what you cannot do, and what you don’t have. Rather, make use of what you have, optimise the skills that you have, and highlight a positive outlook. Maximise your strengths and look for projects and tasks that will give you more purpose and satisfaction. Work feels natural and productive to us when we are happy doing it and when we make use of our skills and strengths. 

6. Establish Positive Work Relationships 

One of the most effective ways to have a healthy working experience is to learn how to get 

along with your coworkers that naturally have all different personalities. Fostering a good relationship with your workmates can inspire you to keep going every day and be motivated with your work knowing you like the people you are  working with. Providing support to each other and encouragement enhances the feeling of belonging to the team. It makes it easier for you to seek help when you are stressed or overwhelmed by your tasks. Collaboration is healthy in the workplace to lighten the pressure, helping you manage stress and keep your mental health. You can schedule catch-ups or meet-ups with your colleagues to keep in touch. 

7. Create a workspace that is welcoming and tidy

Another factor that can impact your mood and working habits is your workspace. It is nice to work in a space where it’s airy, clean, organised and pleasant to the eyes. It encourages your mood and stirs your brain to work and be productive. When there are distractions, it can disturb our mindset and our concentration is compromised. A well-organised workspace positively affects the working condition of your mind. Setting it up to your liking and giving it a personal touch would cheer you up and comfort you while working. Also, a workspace near a window can brighten you up. It gives easy access to natural light and fresh air. With this, your productivity will be improved.

8.  Do not forget to stay hydrated and well-nourished. 

What we drink and eat affects our mood and mindset. Drinking plenty of water and eating good food can help in reducing stress. It gives your body and mind the amount of energy to last a day. Eat and drink something that can boost your energy and mind. However, the consumption of caffeinated drinks and sugar can cause your energy to crash. Hence, it is better to avoid these things to stay energised.

9. Keep an active lifestyle 

A great way to keep mental health on the right trajectory is being active. Having an active lifestyle keeps you awake, alert, alive, and most of all, enthusiastic. Undoubtedly, regular exercise enhances our mood, lowers our stress levels, and boosts our energy. There are some exercises that you can do even at your desk. Stretching, rolling your shoulders, or lifting your legs while you are seated are beneficial for reducing physical tension from sitting for hours. However it is always important to set time aside in your day for exercise of some sort. 

10. Practice self compassion and don’t forget to ask for help when needed 

Go easy on yourself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. There will come a time when you will be challenged. Don’t criticise yourself, for it will only drain you. On the other hand, make time to celebrate, even the tiniest of your achievements. This gives you constant motivation and a positive attitude towards work. When you need help, don’t be afraid to seek help. Things become easier and lighter when we have someone who can share the load with us. Attending mental health workplace courses can also help us understand and deal with work-related pressure and stress.

Where to Find the Best Training Programs and Support Groups 

Learning something new makes us feel supported and encouraged. Finding the best training programs and support groups is important. With the prevalent need to take off our mental health, there have been plenty of support groups you can visit and ask for support from, such as Sane Australia, Headspace, and Superfriend, among others.

You can find our range of mental health at work training courses here.