Mental health within a business is determined both by ourselves individually and by the behaviour of others. In professional environments, some mental health problems may occur due to your daily experiences in such a job.
Working in business, you may experience:
- Unpredictable problems
- The daily stress of working with new people
- Dealing with negative feedback and dissatisfied clients
- Long days and overtime
- Pressure from boss and clients
- Pressure from yourself or dissatisfaction with your work
- Lack of mental health support in the workplace
How To Look After Your Mental Health In Business
Talk to someone: Talking to a friend, family member or colleague about your feelings can help if you are struggling.
Exercise: Staying active and engaging in regular physical activity is seen to lower depression and anxiety.
Eat and drink well: Eating regular, healthy meals and watching your caffeine and alcohol consumption can affect your general mental wellbeing.
Ask for help. If you feel your workload is taking a toll on your mental health, address it with your manager or HR.
Take a break: To avoid burnout, take breaks when necessary. Small breaks can help you refocus. This can be a simple as getting some fresh air at lunchtime. If things become too overwhelming, think about using your holiday time or discuss the possibility of a mental health day off.
Consider animals: Whether a dog, cat or something else or altogether more exotic, spending time with a pet can be incredibly rewarding and can also o wonders for mental health. If you do decode to purchase an animal to help with mental health, remember that you will need to look after them and consider things like multivitamins for dogs, supplements for cats and other supporting products.
Helping Achieve Better Mental Health in The Workplace
If you are a business owner, you should prioritise fostering good mental health in your business. Building a workplace that places importance on wellbeing has many benefits for both employers and employees. This can involve supporting individual mental health and encouraging team building activities.
As well as creating a happier and healthy work environment, workplaces with strong mental wellbeing are also more productive.
Some workplaces and industries are notoriously competitive and sharp which can take a toll on the mental health of employees. For example, finance and online payday loans, mortgage brokers and others in similarly competitive environments may find they need a little extra respite to ensure they care properly for their mental health.
Fostering good mental health in the workplace is proven to increase engagement and productivity amongst employees. Addressing mental health in the workplace increases productivity by as much as 12%.
Work-Life Balance
As both a business owner or employee establishing a clear work/life balance is essential. Try not to bring work home with you into your personal life. If you work from home or need to do something extra in the evenings or weekends, dedicate a particular place for it.
With technology, there can also be a pressure to remain available 24/7. It's important to have boundaries for when colleagues can contact you on work-related matters. It's best not to add your work emails to your mobile phone and try not to check them outside of working hours.
Relaxation and Wellbeing
To avoid burnout, take a break from the business to engage in relaxation. Self-pampering can help relieve stress and support wellbeing. For you, this might look like getting a massage or facial. Self-pampering can fight stress, lower blood pressure and lessen muscle tension and pain. It can also boost concentration and mood.
If you can, take an afternoon off work to relax. You can read a book, take a walk in the park or go to the salon and get a new hairstyle. Go home and make your favourite cocktail and listen to your favourite song or take a bubble bath. Whatever you choose to do. It's essential that you are taking some time for yourself.
