We’re not even halfway through 2024 yet, and American employees are already fed up. According to recent reporting, 46% of professionals say they are considering quitting this year, which is even more than during 2021’s Great Resignation. The increase in workplace stress and burnout—of which 65% of employees suffered from last year—is most certainly a factor.
Research shows that workplace stress can have long-term negative effects on workers, and unfortunately, the number of people being affected is on the rise. According to research from Mental Health America, in 2022, “81% of workers report[ed] that workplace stress affects their mental health, compared to 78% of respondents in 2021.” If you’re a member of a marginalized community, this research also shows that your chances of suffering from workplace stress—and subsequent mental health problems—are even higher.
As discouraging as these statistics may be, there is hope. Discussions surrounding mental health and workplace stressors are more common than ever before, and many businesses are taking the initiative to better understand and address some of the mental/emotional problems their employees might face. Additionally, there are things you can do as a worker to prioritize your own self-care and avoid burnout. We’ve curated a list of five strategies to help kickstart your journey to work-life balance, happy employment, and mental stability.
If you work in an office, heading home at the end of the day might seem like enough of a disconnect, but that’s not always the case. For instance, many employees tend to bring work home with them—in the form of after-hours calls and emails, which has been shown to lead to “increased anxiety, decreased quality of sleep, and lower relationship satisfaction.”
Answering emails at the dinner table is an obvious form of bringing your work home, but there are other forms as well. For instance, if you cannot stop thinking about a work project or issue, even while you are sitting at home relaxing, you might as well still be at work. That’s why we suggest finding post-shift activities that serve as an effective and joyful distraction. For some, the best activity might be going for a walk or playing video games. Or if the TV isn’t enough of a distraction, maybe try picking up a pair of knitting needles while you’re watching the nightly news.
The options are endless, but the key is to truly give your thinking mind a break.
Simply taking a day off work for your mental health’s sake isn’t going to do much if you spend the entire day (and the subsequent work days) worrying about how the break could set you or your team back. It’s estimated that 80% of workers feel guilty about taking PTO, and guilt is a feeling associated with many mental health conditions.
In order to truly reap the benefits of a mental health day, workers have to keep in mind that these well-earned breaks are actually going to make them better employees in the long-run. Studies show that while taking a day or two off can temporarily decrease output, combating workplace stress results in higher levels of productivity over time.
Not only will taking a break most likely make you a better worker, not taking the time to prioritize your mental health could make you a worse employee. According to LinkedIn, “studies have shown that untreated mental health conditions can result in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, employee turnover, and hostility in the workplace…”
Similar to the idea of disconnecting fully from work when you’re back home, a middle-of-the-day lunch break is the perfect time to give your body and brain true respite. Don’t skip your lunch break and try to find a nice place to eat that’s away from your desk.
Better yet, if you have the opportunity to spend some time outside during your lunch break, you’ll get even more benefits. One study showed that spending just 120 minutes outside per week (that’s only about 18 minutes per day) can significantly increase health and well-being — including addressing issues related to sleep and depression.
As much as you want to avoid bringing work home with you, when it comes to bringing some of your personal life to the office, we have the opposite advice. Assuming you have a workspace (either at home or on-location) that you are allowed to decorate and/or personalize, you should do whatever you can to make the space where you conduct business as comfortable and joyful as possible.
Having a plant can be a great way to feel like you’re not so separated from nature, and displaying pictures of friends and family is always a good way to brighten up your space. Additionally, if you’re someone who suffers with anxiety or you get easily distracted, fidget toys and other little games are wonderful options.
Lastly, it’s important to communicate your mental health needs as an employee and to ask your boss or manager if there are any workplace resources available to you. While you shouldn’t feel pressure to divulge any personal information you don’t want to, letting the higher-ups know that you (and most likely other employees) would benefit from more mental health resources could be the first step towards making company-wide changes.
And who knows? Maybe your workplace already has resources in place. It never hurts to ask.
This article is aimed at empowering workers to take better care of themselves, but we also understand that the responsibility for addressing workplace stress shouldn’t fall entirely on the workers’ shoulders. No amount of mental health days, outdoor lunches, or desk decorations is going to make up for toxic workplaces or unsympathetic bosses.
If you find yourself in a work situation where you don’t feel your mental wellbeing isn’t being taken into consideration, the best form of self-care is going to be to find a new job. And we’d love to help!
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