- Mental Health
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by Kim
When it comes to workplace wellness, taking care of your mental health at work is essential, especially because many people spend around eight hours a day at the office during the week.
Employees are frequently pushed to demonstrate productivity at the expense of job satisfaction and for some, this can cost them their mental health. Working long hours, with tight deadlines and endless pressure can take its toll, if not properly managed. With that in mind, here are three effective tips for workplace wellness that allow you to stay productive, all the while keeping mentally fit.
Take a break
Ensuring you have regular intervals for downtime is non-negotiable when it comes productivity. In fact, several studies have emphasised the need for taking regular breaks, such as “movement breaks.” Having regular breaks can actually lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression.
Spending long periods of time at your desk can also have a detrimental impact on your motivation, and creativity, so don’t feel obligated to sit glued to your screen the whole day. Stepping away for a few minutes can help you come back with new ideas and see the problem with fresh eyes.
Recharge your mental batteries by ensuring that you get outside during your lunch hour to breath in some fresh air, go for a short walk, listen to an uplifting podcast or read a chapter of a book.
Watch your overtime
Taking your start and finish times seriously is just as essential as taking regular breaks. If you are constantly overworking yourself you are not only hindering your productivity but also at risk of burning out. Don’t be a work martyr by regularly sacrificing your personal time in order to reduce your workload.
Instead, clock into work on time and try to leave on time too. Ensure you make the most of your contracted work hours through the day so that you can confidently finish work each evening feeling on top of things. It’s important for your mental health to draw clear lines between your professional and personal life, this will help you maintain an effective work-life balance. Respect your boundaries and you will reap the benefits both during work time and outside of it too.
Avoid Multi-tasking
It’s time to debunk this common productivity fallacy, once and for all. While we may think that we are a ‘master multitasker’, studies show that when we move our attention from one thing to the next, it can result in little progress on either of the two pending tasks. It may also leave us more prone to making errors. One study showed that only 2.5% of people are effectively able to multitask. For the rest of us, we’re just merely task-switching with divided attention.
This is especially true when it comes to complicated or unfamiliar tasks. Why? Because it takes time to shift our mental gears when we switch over between the two tasks. Our brains are really only wired to focus on one task at a time. So, make a conscious effort to only tackle one task at a time and don’t take on more than you can handle.
Seeking help
If you are struggling to maintain a healthy work/life balance, it may be time to seek help from a professional.
Why not find out if your company offers EAP services to encourage workplace wellness?
An EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a workplace therapy service that employers pay for to help their staff cope with work-related and personal problems. Learn more about this service here.
NOTE: While your employer may pay for this service, your sessions will ALWAYS remain confidential.
Alternatively, if your workplace does not offer EAP services, there are other ways you maybe able to receive subsidised sessions. To learn more or to book an appointment today, contact our reception team on: 1800 327 477 (AU) or 0800 327 477 (NZ).
