How to Look After Your Mental Health at Work

Taking care of your mental health is crucial for overall well-being and happiness – and this extends into your professional life too. 

As we spend roughly 8 hours each day at work, it’s important that the environment is somewhere we feel safe, happy, and relaxed. Unfortunately, a significant number of employees suffer from work-related stress which is often left unaddressed and starts to filter into their day-to-day life.

With this in mind, taking care of your mental health at work shouldn’t be overlooked. There are many reasons why you may be struggling with your mental health in your graduate job, including:

• An unfair boss
• Difficult colleagues
• Poor work/life balance
• The job role isn’t right for you

The good news is that there are a few ways you can boost your mental health at work, as follows:

Talk about your feelings

The idea of being open with your boss and colleagues about your mental health may be something you dread – especially if you’re quite a private, introverted person. You may have fears of being judged which is understandable due to the stigma that is often attached with mental health. However, bottling up your feelings will only leave you feeling isolated and unsupported which could cause the problem to spiral out of control.

When the time is right, identify someone you feel comfortable around – whether it be a colleague or your employer and explain how you’re feeling. You don’t have to go into too much detail if you’re not ready, but just explaining that you are struggling could open up the conversation of making changes and get on the right path to a stress-free and happier life.

Take regular breaks

If you’re someone who sits for hours on end at your PC without taking regular breaks, it can be easy to become exhausted and burnt out. Just because you are in an office doesn’t mean you’re entitled to get up from your desk every once in a while, – even if it is just to make a drink or go get some air. A five-minute breather every hour or so can give your mind some space to rejuvenate and boost productivity.

Also, make a pledge to stop reaching for your work phone or laptop when out of the office. Constantly feeling like a slave to your emails can prevent you from completely switching off and enjoying self-care, which is needed to feel refreshed and motivated the following day.

Build positive relationships

The people we spend the most time with can have a significant impact on our outlook and mood. Considering we dedicate a substantial portion of our day to work, it’s essential to surround ourselves with individuals who radiate positive energy, rather than being influenced by negative attitudes.

Since we cannot always choose our co-workers, it’s important to establish healthy boundaries and maintain a positive mindset. Seek out supportive colleagues who share a similar drive for growth and uplift your spirits when you’re feeling low. In turn, you’ll start to notice that their attitude starts to rub off on you and allow you to enjoy a more fulfilling day in the office.

Be kind to yourself

We all experience down days from time to time, and during those moments, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doubting our worth and feeling inadequate when we make a mistake. However, it’s important to remember that everyone, goes through similar challenges. It’s just part and parcel of professional life that we all have to get used to.

Remind yourself that you are only human and not every day will be plain sailing. Just as good times come and go, so do the difficult ones.

Be sure to treat yourself with kindness and understanding, knowing that everyone faces obstacles along their journey. Embrace the learning opportunities that come with difficult days and use them as stepping stones for personal growth.

Find a new graduate job

If your current job no longer serves you and is causing you a significant amount of stress, it may be time that you walk away. No amount of money or power is worth your health, therefore, it is about understanding when enough is enough and to put yourself first. After all, there are plenty of jobs out there – it is just about finding the one that ticks your boxes.

Here at Inspiring Interns, we have a vast selection of graduate jobs from some of the world’s top employers. When signing up with us, we’ll have a conversation with you about the type of company culture that best suits you and any other factors you require for your ideal role.

Get in touch today to chat with our team about our brand-new opportunites!