There'll be times when it feels like work is beginning to creep further and further into your personal life. This can lead to you feeling stressed, unhappy and unproductive at work. It’s important to tell your manager as soon as you feel that your mental and physical health is being affected due to work but there are also things you can do to help bring wellness into the workplace for you and your colleagues.
Healthy and happy
We’ve heard it all that eating the right food and exercising can help us to live a longer happier life, but it can also change your mindset and attitude to work too, for the better.
Rejecting the mid morning and afternoon sweet treats, carb loaded lunches and skipping meals will help to stave off the blood sugar drop in the afternoon that makes the last few hours of work become an unproductive slog till you’re able to go home. It’s time to go back to school and prepare a lunch in advance. Pack your bag with flavoursome food that is energy boosting and easily digestible to ensure your mind and body is fuelled appropriately to function at your peak throughout the day and not running on empty or using all its power to digest the sugar and salt laden treats you consumed throughout the day. Your body will thank you for providing it with the food it needs to function by making you more alert, happier and productive both at work and home.
Adding a bit of exercise, even going for a 20 minute walk at lunch can help to relieve levels of stress and wake your brain up so that it’s ready for the afternoon ahead. Exercise and healthy eating will also aid a better night’s sleep which will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for a new day, instead of lethargic and tired throughout.
Mindfulness matters
When it comes to mindfulness many assume that this is solely meditation, it’s not. However, if you are keen to begin meditating apps such as Headspace and Mindfulness will run through what to do and how you can meditate when you want to and have time to do so, meaning you can meditate on your daily commute.
You might not be the kind who wants to meditate and you don’t have to in order to achieve mindfulness everyday. Turn off your digital devices once or twice a day to allow your head to escape the endless emails, instant messaging and social media notifications that have become part of our life and forget about them. Take 5 minute before going to bed to do absolutely nothing with no technology around to distract you and switch off from the world and relax. These will help your mind to calmly process the day’s happenings, wind down in time for you to sleep soundly and shut off the unnecessary noise that pervades your life and disrupts your mental wellbeing at work and home.
Feeling a little creative? Mindfulness colouring pads are created to allow our mind to relax and escape the day to day stresses in order to rejuvenate. These can be available for employees so it might be worth asking your manager if they could be a possible purchase for your colleagues.
Communicate with colleagues
Humans are social creatures. We look to others to share experiences, care for and even compete with but all of this requires at least two people in order for the exchange to happen. Being sociable has moved online as people tend to communicate through social media and messaging apps. But those face to face human interactions are paramount for our mental health.
Step away from your desk and email inbox and start talking to people in person. Speaking to others will connect you quicker and bonds will be able to form which can lead to friendship and support networks which are needed at work when things can become too much and you need to be reassured you’re not alone and can reach out for comfort from people that understand the situation and can empathise and help.
Achieve the work life balance
The work life balance is a constant juggle that can swiftly go out of kilter if not continuously managed. If your working hours are becoming longer and you can’t switch off at the weekends, let your manager know what is occurring, why it’s happening and how this can be solved. Your manager should be able to support you and share your workload across the team. Ensure that you do leave on time and that you aren’t working through your lunch break, you’re not paid for this and people will not thank you for sacrificing your personal time. Make time for you and switch off from work. If you feel like you’re unable to it may be time to start looking for a new opportunity. Look through our latest roles or contact your local branch for one of our consultants to help you find the employer that is right for you.
