Posted by We can all do things to improve our mental health and build our resilience, which is our ability to deal with problems.
Taking care of yourself is a skill that needs to be used. It’s difficult, especially if we’re worried, sad, or don’t think much of ourselves.
Here are 10 ways to improve your mental health that have been shown to work:
1. Putting your feelings into words
Talking about your feelings can help you keep your mind in good shape and deal with tough times.
It’s not a sign of weakness to talk about how you feel. It’s part of being responsible for your health and doing everything possible to stay fit.
It’s not always easy to talk about how you feel at work. It can help a lot if you have coworkers you can talk to or a boss who asks how you are doing during supervision sessions.
Find someone you feel good around and who will help you. You might think about what you want to share, with whom, and when and where it would be best. Suppose you’re honest about how you feel at work, especially if you’re a boss. In that case, it might make others feel more comfortable doing the same.
If you are uncomfortable discussing your feelings at work, ensure you have someone to talk to about work stresses. You can discuss with you partners, friends, and family.
2. Stay active
Exercise can make you feel better about yourself and help you focus, sleep, and look better.
Exercise is more than just going to the gym or playing sports. According to experts, most people should work out for about 30 minutes at least five days a week. Try to do something active that you enjoy every day.
You may work in a physically demanding job, like building or teaching. If you get hurt or sick and can’t work, you’ll notice how quickly your mood starts to change because of the change in activity level.
If you work in an office, going for a walk or taking a class at lunch can make a big difference. You can also exercise before or after work to ease into the day or make a break between work and personal time. Experts think that when you work out, your brain produces chemicals that make you feel good. Regular exercise can make you feel better about yourself, help you focus, sleep, and generally feel better.
3. Good food
What we eat can make us feel different right away and over time. If your food is good for your body, it is also good for your mind.
Sticking to a healthy eating routine at work can be tricky. It’s best to eat three meals a day and drink water.
Try to plan ahead for mealtimes at work, whether that means bringing food from home or getting a healthy lunch.
Try to eat somewhere other than your work. You could start a lunch club at work, where people get together to try new things and share food.
When you’re busy, feeling down, or worried, try cutting back on caffeine and refined sugar or giving them up completely. Make sure there is a ready stock of fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks like nuts or trail mix.
Be aware that some people with past or current eating disorders find eating in public at work very upsetting. If someone doesn’t want to come to work dinners or makes different food choices in the office, don’t judge them or try to force them to join in.
4. Drink wisely
People often drink to change their mood. Some people drink to eliminate feelings of fear or loneliness, but the effect only lasts for a short time.
Most people don’t drink at work, but most know we consume more on weekends or evenings when work is hard.
Be careful at work events where alcohol is served. It can be tempting to drink to get “Dutch courage,” but if you’re nervous, you might drink too much and do something you’d rather not, making you feel more anxious in the medium to long term.
5. Keep in touch
Our mental health depends on the relationships we have. Our mental health at work needs to be part of a helpful team.
We don’t always get to choose who we work with; if we don’t get along with our bosses, coworkers, or clients, it can lead to problems. During these times, you may need to take better care of yourself, but you may also need to deal with problems.
When we have mental health problems, it can be hard to deal with office politics. Finding a guide or a small group of trusted coworkers with whom you can talk about how you feel about your job can be helpful. This can help you get a second opinion and figure out how to deal with problems.
Even if you have a lot of work, keep in touch with your friends and family. Having a good mix between work and life is important, and experts now think that being lonely may be as bad for our health as smoking.
Related article: 5 Tips for Avoiding Layoff Anxiety
6. Ask for help
We’re all just like everyone else. We all get tired or stressed out when things don’t go as planned or when we feel bad.
You can get help with your health at work from your line boss or the HR department.
Your doctor is the first person you should see in the health care system. More than a third of doctor visits are about mental health. Your doctor may tell you or your family how you or they can help, or they may send you to an expert or another part of the health service. Your doctor might be able to put you in touch with a counselor.
7. Stop for a while
Changing your environment or your routine is good for your mental health.
It could be taking a five-minute break from what you are doing, reading a book or listening to a podcast on the way to work, taking a half-hour lunch break at work, or going somewhere new on the weekend. Even just a few minutes can help you relax. Spend some time on yourself.
If your boss gives you mental health days, which are days off to care for your health, take them and use them well.
Sleep is important for keeping our minds healthy. Pay attention to your body. Our mental health worsens without enough sleep, and we can’t focus either.
Taking vacations and time off from work can be tricky. When we’re stressed, taking breaks can seem even harder, even though we need them. Try to plan vacations throughout the year so you always have something to look forward to.
Try not to check in with work while on vacation or at home. If you can’t get away, it might be a sign that you must look at your job to deal with stress.
8. Do what you are good at.
What do you really like to do? What kinds of things can you get lost in? What did you love to do when you were younger?
Having fun can help you deal with stress. If you like doing something, you’re likely good at it, and being good at something makes you feel good about yourself.
Focusing on hobbies like gardening or doing crossword puzzles can help you forget about your problems and change your mood.
It’s okay to be good at your job. When you’re stressed, it’s easy to forget your skills or get imposter syndrome, which makes you feel like a fraud or like you don’t deserve your wins.
Plan your work schedule so that you do things you know you are good at between something that will be harder or more stressful.
You might have a hobby at work that you’d like to share or do with your coworkers. A work bike club, book club, or craft group can be a great way to do this.
9. Just be who you are
We’re all different. Accepting that you are different from everyone else is much better than wishing you were more like someone else.
When you feel good about yourself, you’re likelier to try new things, go to new places, and meet new people. Having a healthy sense of self-worth helps you deal with hard times.
Be happy with yourself. Recognize and accept the things you may not be good at, but also focus on what you are good at. If there’s something you’d like to change about yourself, are your goals reasonable? If they are, take small steps to change them.
When you have a mental health problem, accepting and caring for yourself can be challenging. This is something that people have to work on all the time.
It can be tempting to put everything into making yourself feel good about yourself at work. People with mental health problems often give their jobs their all and are good achievers. It also makes it more likely that people will take it personally when things go wrong, mistakes are made, or things need to change.
10. Help other people
Caring for others is often a big part of keeping in touch with people you care about.
Working can give you chances to care for other people. Helping others can be very good for your mental health. In most positions, you can be there for your coworkers, either as a team member or a line boss. Strategies like coaching and training are good ways to help others.
Helping others can make us feel wanted and important, which is good for our self-esteem. Volunteering can be very satisfying, and it can also help us see the world differently. This can help us see how small our own worries are.
Workplaces that offer flexible hours, time off for caregivers, childcare voucher programs, and other ways to help people in caring jobs can make a big difference in their employees’ mental health and productivity.
Do you want to find a job that truly fulfills you? Visit Jobstore.com as soon as possible.
Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives.
Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.