Struggling with mental health issues at work? When the pressures of deadlines, workplace dynamics, and increasing workloads start to weigh us down, it can feel overwhelming. Discover how you can take charge and prioritize your well-being!
Most of us spend a great deal of our time — and energy — at work. So, it’s not really surprising how the stress and challenges we face in our workplace deeply impact our overall well-being and even our relationships.
We all have those days when we wish we could just “Severance” our minds, and forget about our work once we stepped out of the office. While that is a tempting idea, it wouldn’t make our problems go away. They would still be there waiting for us to clock in, growing each passing day.
Sci-fi shows aside, this idea of compartmentalizing our experiences is not new. Many of us try very hard to lock our work problems at work, thinking we can prevent them from spilling over into our personal lives — but that doesn’t last long. Eventually, something has to break.
Taking care of our mental health in the workplace is essential, not just for our professional success but for our happiness, our relationships, and our quality of life.
Instead of trying to escape our work problems, we need to learn how to face them with strategies that help us manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance. So, to better understand what we are up against, let’s start by exploring the different types of work issues.
Common Work Issues
There are psychosocial risks that can threaten mental health at work and can, in and of themselves, pose a workplace challenge. They may be connected to job characteristics, the employer’s organizational culture/workplace environment, or personal or interpersonal traits.
In the end, though, this separation is merely theoretical, as many of these factors fall into more than one of these categories.
These issues can affect people at risk or those with existing problems. It’s essential to protect your mental health and prevent the situation from becoming even more serious (e.g., burnout). These are some of the most common challenges in the workplace.
Job Characteristics:
- Work pace, excessive workload, or understaffing;
- Poor leadership or changes in leadership;
- Harmful team dynamics/toxic behavior;
- Wasted skills potential or insufficient qualifications;
- Extended shifts or rigid work schedule;
- Unclear job role and responsibilities.
Employer Factors:
- Work-life balance;
- Technology;
- Insufficient training;
- Few benefits/job insecurity;
- Absence of growth opportunities;
- Lack of professional recognition;
- An organizational culture that allows negative conduct.
Personal Factors:
- Lack of motivation;
- Time management;
- Perfectionism and social anxiety;
- Self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
Interpersonal Risks:
- Communication;
- Trust issues and lack of transparency;
- Sexual harassment, violence, bullying, and/or discrimination;
- Lack of support from coworkers or authoritative supervision.
6 Ways To Support Your Mental Health in The Workplace
Unfortunately, we can’t cover all the work issues that are part of such a lengthy list. What we can do, however, is advise you on the best strategies to help you cope and take care of your mental health in the workplace.
1. Talk to management
We’re starting with one of the most important moves. Unless you’re facing completely personal challenges, there’s a high chance the difficulties you’re dealing with aren’t totally under your control, so you might need to talk to your manager.
There might be a need to make some changes in your work, environment, or daily tasks. Or they can simply work towards a possible solution for your problem. For example, if you have a diagnosed mental disorder, they might direct you to an occupational health professional.
Whatever the case, plan ahead on what you want to tell them and bring some notes with you if necessary.
2. Share your feelings
Whether at work, with colleagues or your manager, or on a personal level, with friends, family, or partners, discussing your feelings can do wonders for your mental health.
Talking about what you feel isn’t a sign of weakness. It means you’re actively doing something toward your well-being, with the benefit of potentially lifting a weight off your shoulders by sharing the emotional burden with someone else.
3. Establish clear boundaries
It’s easy to merge work into your personal life, especially if you’re working from home, so it’s crucial to clearly define when work ends and personal life begins (and vice versa).
Implement strategies to separate both areas of your life, whether they’re physical (e.g., having a dedicated area for work at home), practical (e.g., turning off work notifications after your work day), or psychological (e.g., restricting yourself from using your work phone/computer at certain times of day).
4. Maintain a healthy routine
We know, we know… Everyone always mentions these everywhere and you’re tired of hearing all of it. Well, they might seem insignificant, but they play a big role in your general well-being.
So, we’re going to repeat it all: practice regular exercise, eat well, and keep consistent sleeping schedules.
Regular exercise can help you sleep and feel better. As for eating well, plan your meals ahead of time. Always choose healthy options, and avoid too much refined sugar or caffeine, which will also help you sleep better. Practice good sleep hygiene and wake up at regular hours.
5. Take a break
This can be a small pause from what you’re working on, reading a book while you’re commuting, taking a day off to get some rest, or going on a small escapade during the weekend.
Whatever it is, a change of scenery – big or small – is beneficial to take your mind off things and do a reset. Take advantage of these moments to unwind and take some downtime to simply relax.
6. Seek help
No one is perfect, and it might be hard and overwhelming to deal with difficulties sometimes.
You don’t have to go through these issues alone. You can seek professional help from a therapist. Sharing your feelings and working on your well-being with a professional will help turn things around and improve your mental health.
Find Support to Cope with Work Issues Baltimore, MD
Taking care of our well-being at work doesn’t just help us manage stress in the office — it can also have a positive ripple effect on our overall mental health and quality of life. So, if you’re struggling with heavy workloads, tired of dealing with difficult colleagues and bosses, or experiencing burnout, we’re here to help!
Our Baltimore therapists can help you develop practical strategies to better manage work-related stress, foster supportive relationships in the workplace, and create a healthier and more fulfilling work life.
By nurturing our well-being at work, we equip ourselves with the tools to thrive both professionally and personally. Reach out to know more or get started by scheduling a free 15-minute consultation here!
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