Mental health has been one of the most talked about topics last year and this year is starting out no different. Many celebrities like Michelle Williams, Kid Cudi, Jenifer Lewis and more have been vocal about their battle with mental health, giving fans a sense of comfortability that they are not alone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a year. This is an alarming statistic that shows many people suffer from mental illness. Causes of mental illness can be stress, traumatic experiences, genetics and more.
The workplace can be stressful for many people and be a trigger for someone dealing with mental health issues.
Psychologist Irene Summers Temple recommends six ways to maintain your mental health in the workplace.
Change your outlook. Your outlook on work and stress effect your stress levels and can trigger mental health symptoms. Often when stressful situations arise thoughts shift more to the negative side than the positive side. By changing your outlook on stress and how you perceive stressful situations, you channel that energy into positivity and you are less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to receive different results.
Identify what is in your control. It is important to know that you do not have control over everything that happens. Sometimes situations occur at work that are out of your control and that in fact is ok. By learning what you can control in your work environment like your performance and decisions and what you cannot control like what others think and do, you relieve yourself of the unnecessary stress of worrying about everything that happens. You are also able to perfect your skills and performance.
Prioritize your work and yourself. You are the most important key in maintaining your mental health. If you are not prioritizing yourself and your work, which means staying organized and on top of things, it is easy to get swept away by stress which will trigger mental health issues. Prioritizing your work includes managing emails, phone calls and projects and prioritizing yourself includes managing breaks, meals and start/end times.
Delegate tasks. Delegating tasks at work can be a huge time saver and stress reliever. There are two types of tasks. Tasks that ONLY you can do and tasks that can be handed off for someone else to complete. Figure out which tasks only you can do and delegate all other tasks to other people.
Remember to breathe. This sounds super simple but many of us forget to take deep breaths while at work. This is a therapeutic technique that can be implemented during stressful times. Some of the benefits of deep breathing include enhanced problems solving skills, greater clarity, increased positivity, relaxation and more. When you begin to feel negative feelings, stressed or overwhelmed, stop where you are, take a deep breath in and slowly breathe out.
Find a mentor. A mentor can be very helpful in maintaining your mental health in your workplace. Have someone to talk to and release frustrations with helps to fight the urge to keep your emotions bottled inside. A mentor provides community which decreases feelings of isolation and increases job satisfaction.
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