Time to Talk Day: Mental Health in the Workplace
Tomorrow is time to talk day which is run by organisations Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. The campaign is run in order to encourage creating open and supportive conversations regarding mental health. So often, mental health is viewed as a taboo particularly in the workplace, its not something that a lot of people feel comfortable talking to anybody about let alone their colleagues.
Stress is a common contributor to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression and work is one of the most significant stressors in our lives.
Job burnout is a specific type or work related stress that can lead to employees having long term sick leave or leaving their jobs entirely.
It is so important to maintain your mental health despite workplace stress, so here are some tips for taking action when you can feel those warning signs coming on:
Disconnect - you need to not make yourself available to your work at all times of the day. If you have to, turn off your work notifications or disconnect you email account from your phone. If its not viable not to check your messages for a whole weekend then schedule in a small block of time to do so but ensure it envelop your free time
Physical Symptoms - that pesky headache you think is coming because you’re dehydrated? Or the stomach ache because of something you ate? These symptoms might actually be physical manifestations of burnout, you need to be aware of them and ready to take action to relax and step back before it becomes unmanageable
Get organised - when we are stressed at work, it often comes from a high workload. Taking that little bit of extra time to manage and organise your day can make this feel more manageable and help alleviate stress
Take regular breaks, eat, drink and move your body- taking care of yourself physically has a massive impact on our mental health so ensure you are taking regular breaks throughout the day, get your eyes off the screen and go fill up your water bottle.
Time off - speaking of taking breaks, taking time away from work can help us to relax and spend time doing things we enjoy. Take a day at the weekend to sleep and reset, take a holiday to get away from it all and give yourself some time to recharge or if you are in need, take a mental health day.
If none of this is working for you, you may have to make a decision as to whether the role you are currently in is more important than maintaining a healthy work life balance. If you need any advice or are looking for a new role, please give us a call 01727 899490 or email your CV in to us at info@reddoorrecruitment.co.uk
If you are struggling with your mental health or feel like you need to speak to someone, here are some resources that are free to access:
Contact your GP: your GP can offer support and options for treatment if necessary
ASSISTLine: 0800 689 5652 (open 24hrs for 18+)
Samaritans: 116 123 (open 24 hrs, 365 days a year)
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm-10.30pm every day)
CALM: 0800 58 58 58 or they also have a webchat service
Talking about mental health, particularly in the workplace, can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and empower those who need it to seek support.
Maybe try starting a conversation with your colleagues today?