Mental health in the workplace has been a topic of great discussion recently as changes since COVID mean some of us are back in the office, while others continue to work from home – or a combination of both.
In fact, 14.7% of people have mental health issues in the workplace. In Great Britain (2021/22), 914,000 workers suffer from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. It can affect people of any age and isn’t always a short-term thing.
The need for understanding and accommodating is at an all time high.
Mental health issues don’t discriminate but there are some common triggers for workplace stress and mental health issues:
- Heavy workloads
- Long hours with no breaks
- Working alone
- Too much pressure
- Unrealistic deadlines
- Poor communication and interpersonal relationships
Stress affects all aspects of life, and most of the time it passes but it can develop into a mental health condition if left unchecked.
Tips for looking after your mental health at work:
Speak up
The awareness of mental health conditions is growing, but not fast enough. We understand that it may be difficult to speak of personal matters in a working environment. However, finding ways to make the manager aware and requesting support could be a great first step. They cannot help if they do not know what is going on in the backend. Do you need a smaller workload? Do you need to start slightly later in the day?
If talking to your manager isn’t possible, or isn’t something you want to do, it can help to simply talk to a colleague you feel will be supportive. Talk about how you are feeling (and also offer to listen if they need the same). If it’s not possible to find someone at work, try to identify a friend or family member you can talk to about it instead.
Take a break
No matter how busy you are, make sure you prioritise taking your lunch break. It may sound counterintuitive, but taking a break can actually help you work better. It gives your brain a chance to rest and your body an opportunity to refuel. It would be even better if you could go outside to walk around the block.
Create clear boundaries
Got a work phone? Turn it off when your work day ends. Work emails connected to your phone? Remove them now! It’s easier to set boundaries if you work in an office because you physically leave your workplace at the end of the day. However, this is much more difficult to do if you are working from home.
If you have the space to create a small home office in a spare room, or even in a corner of the house, try doing so and shut the door when you finish work for the day. No space for that? Create a work box, and at the end of the day place all your work devices into it, then tuck it in the cupboard or under the sofa until morning. It is important to delineate and separate to get the most benefit from personal time at home.
Prioritise connections
Relationships are absolutely vital to our mental health. When we feel lonely (especially when working from home), it may lead to issues like depression, which can impact multiple aspects of life. Depression is incredibly common and affects people of all ages and lifestyles. In 2022, 16% of adults reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms.
Treatments like talking therapy (CBT) and antidepressants are first-line treatments for depression, but don’t always work for everyone – many people do not get relief with these treatment options. Depression treatment using rTMS, also known as repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, is an alternative (and very effective) option without the need for drugs. It uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the area of the brain that regulates mood.
We understand the people you work with may not be suitable for your support network. If it’s not possible to connect with others at work, find a person at home who can support you.
Mindfulness
We’ve all heard the advice, but have you actually taken it? Mindfulness (even just two minutes) is a powerful tool to help you feel present in the moment. It is the action of paying attention to what is happening around you and getting in touch with how you feel. Mindfulness is effective to feel more connected to your surroundings, and the added benefit of feeling calm is just a bonus.
Your mental health in the workplace
Prioritising your mental health is important, especially in the workplace. With an ever changing work landscape, our professional lives have evolved to consume a big chunk of our day. However, by no means it should be detrimental for our mental health. Remember, striking a balance between work and life is just as important as breathing. Defining clear boundaries, taking a stand for yourself, prioritising connections and having proper breaks are some ways to deal with it effectively.
