While work-related stress is nothing new, the past few years have marked a watershed moment in the history of workplace mental health. As such, it’s important to take time to reflect on how these changes and challenges brought on by the “new normal” may be affecting our mental and emotional health. In this guide, we will share five tips that have been proven to promote positive mental health in the workplace.
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A Snapshot of Mental Health in the Workplace
According to data from the WHO, one in four people will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Given that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime, it’s crucial to ensure that we develop healthy working habits. It is also key to ensure that the workplace provides a safe and supportive environment in which positive mental health is promoted – even when that workplace is located in our own homes.
How Has The COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Mental Health in the Workplace?
There is a wide variety of factors to consider when looking at how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected our mental health at work. The pandemic is triggering feelings of stress, anxiety and uncertainty for many workers. On top of this, the mass transition to remote working has brought about numerous new challenges for employees and employers alike. Against this backdrop, many people are now experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, while those with pre-existing mental health conditions are further challenged by the current climate. As a result, many organisations are now looking into ways of promoting positive mental health among their employees.
5 Ways to Mind Your Mental Health At Work
1. Take A Daily Lunch Break
A recent Liberty Games survey revealed that 41% of respondents are likely to work through their lunch breaks while working remotely. When we work from home, many feel pressured to be visibly productive throughout the day and experience feelings of guilt or anxiety around taking breaks. Taking a daily lunch break is beneficial for your mental health as it gives your mind a chance to rest, recharge and refocus. Lunch breaks have also been shown to boost productivity, concentration and creativity.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Lunch Break
- Log off from your work phone and computer for the entirety of your break.
- Step away from your workspace.
- If the weather permits, go outside for some fresh air – get a walk in or go for a quick cycle.
- Do a creative activity that you enjoy such as playing an instrument or working on a crafty project. Research from Drexel University reveals that just 45 minutes of creative activity is a highly effective way of reducing stress in the body, regardless of artistic experience or talent.
2. Meditation & Mindfulness
The Mayo Clinic describes meditation as an activity during which “you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.” Research has linked meditation with numerous emotional benefits, including:
- Developing resilience and stress management skills
- Cultivating self-awareness
- Learning how to focus on the present
- Boosting imagination and creativity
- Increasing patience and compassion
- Increasing focus, energy and productivity
Practicing meditation at work may help you to cope with day-to-day stress and can be an effective way to ward off burnout. For example, when Aetna launched a meditation program across their organisation they found that participants’ stress levels dropped by 28%.
The more regularly you meditate, the more you will experience the benefits. So rather than only meditating in times of stress, it is more beneficial to work it into your daily routine. It’s a good idea to schedule a daily session into your calendar. To minimise distractions during this period, be sure to switch off your email and any other digital notifications. Alternatively, you can step away from your desk and try out a walking meditation.
Top Free Online Meditation Resources:
- Headspace: This app teaches users the skills of mindfulness and meditation. It has a vast library of meditations that range in length, topic and style. The app also provides a useful daily reminder to “get some headspace”.
- Mindful Minute Podcast: This weekly podcast is hosted by Meryl Arnett – a meditation expert and certified Yoga instructor. Typically up to 30 minutes in duration, this show is a great way to start or round off a busy day in the office. Each episode features a guided meditation that aims to help you to get out of your own head while learning how to focus on the present moment.
- Calm: Like Headspace, Calm offers a diverse array of options ranging from guided meditations to soothing playlists, breathing exercises and instructional videos on stretching. You can find meditations on any topic imaginable including a whole category of work-focused meditations. To help you maintain momentum, the app offers progress trackers as well as seven-day and 21-day programmes.
- Insight Timer: This is a completely free app that offers access to over 45,000 guided sessions. It features calming music tracks and therapeutic talks from acclaimed yogis and therapists. You can filter by time (5 to 30+ minutes) and need (e.g. stress, sleep, confidence).
- Daily Meditation Podcast: Every week, this podcast focuses on one emotion. Each episode in that week will include a guided meditation that explores different styles and techniques related to the weekly theme. Episodes are less than ten minutes long and are an ideal option for those of us who don’t have much time to spare during the workday.
3. Create Clear Work-Life Boundaries
According to a survey carried out by Mental Health First Aid Ireland, 42% of Irish workers are struggling to manage the boundary between work and home. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is one of the most effective ways to protect your mental health against burnout and work-related stress. However, when we lack the geographical boundaries that usually separate our personal space from our workspace it can be hard to disconnect.
What steps can you take to ensure a healthy work-life balance when working from home?
- Devise a structured work schedule with set start, lunch and finish times and stick to it.
- Find some rituals that help you to transition into and out of “work mode”. For example, you could wear your work clothes or go for a “commute” (i.e. a short walk around your area) at the start and end of each day.
- When you are finished work for the day, disconnect from your devices so that your work doesn’t spill into your leisure time.
4. Keep up Healthy Routines
Research shows that poor physical health can elevate the risk of developing mental health problems. Therefore in order to support positive mental health, it’s important to maintain healthy everyday behaviours. These could include:
- Diet: Research reveals eating a balanced and nutritious diet can improve both your physical and mental health. It has also been shown to influence the development, management and prevention of numerous mental health conditions. When working from home, plan your meals ahead of time to ensure a healthy mix of foods that will keep you energised and focused for the day. For more advice, check out the HSE’s dedicated page on the topic.
- Exercise: Between the elimination of the commute and heavy restrictions on gyms, many people are no longer getting the same amount of exercise as they did pre-lockdown. Exercising releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain that boost our mental alertness, energy and mood. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports found that people who walked at lunchtime three times a week reported feeling less tense, more enthusiastic, more relaxed and were better able to cope with their workload. To increase your activity levels, consider going for a walk during your lunch or following along to an exercise video on YouTube. At Berkley, we enlisted the help of Karolina from Inner Light Yoga who specialises in providing corporate and personal yoga classes that help to offset the effects of a sedentary office lifestyle.
- Sleep: It has been proven that there is a strong link between poor sleep and negative mental health. According to one survey of 2,000 new home workers revealed that 70% experienced disrupted sleeping patterns.
“Our day-to-day routine plays an important role in helping to anchor and regulate our circadian rhythm – the internal clock which guides us through each 24-hour period, cycling us between periods of wakefulness and sleep. When our circadian rhythm is interfered with, usually, so is our sleep…Those unused to working from home may have a less established structure for doing so leading to less consistency for their body-clock to anchor around. ” –
Lauren Peacock, Sleep Consultant
To improve your sleep quality, consider removing all technology from your bedroom at least an hour before your bedtime. You could also establish “bedtime rituals” routine (e.g. read a book, take a bath, listen to a podcast) that signals to your body that bedtime is approaching.
5. Stay Connected
People are social creatures by nature. Research has shown that building social connections is a surefire way to one surefire mood-booster. According to a 2019 report from Buffer, 19% of remote workers stated isolation as their top challenge. For many people, the workplace provides their main source of social interaction. Those new to home working may be struggling with the long hours on their own. There are a few things you can try to combat loneliness:
- If other people in your household are also working from home, why not schedule your breaks together?
- During your lunch breaks, schedule a video call with a close friend or loved one.
- Create a calendar of virtual team building activities.
How do I Recognise A Mental Health Problem?
The UK Mental Foundation offers helpful advice on how to identify if negative mental health is presenting itself at work:
“At work, we might notice that we are more tired than usual. We might make uncharacteristic mistakes, find it hard to motivate ourselves, our timekeeping might slip, or we may be short-tempered… We might find we isolate ourselves, avoid colleagues or appear distracted. We might procrastinate more – or grind to a halt altogether. Or we might speed up or become chaotic, intruding into others’ conversations and work, and taking on more work than we can manage.”
If work is overwhelming you, arrange to speak to a supportive colleague, manager or someone in HR. Not only will talking about your feelings help you cope with difficult times, but it may also allow you to address any factors at work that are hampering your mental health. If you don’t want to talk about feelings at work, then try to talk to a trusted family member or a friend.
Generally speaking, you should seek help from your doctor if you experience feelings that prevent you from coping with everyday life, have a major impact on the people you live or work with, affect your mood over a few weeks or that cause you to have thoughts of suicide.
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