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The average person spends 20-25% of their week sleeping. That same average person will spend 23.8% of their week at work. That leaves about 50% of the workweek to deal with chores, cooking, grocery shopping, recreation, and just living.
Work takes up a big chunk of people’s lives so it’s natural that it’s a point of stress for a large group of people. Stress is a common contributor to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
If you’re like the average person, you’ll experience mental health issues at work at some point, even if they’re minor. In this article we will discuss the following:
- Causes of poor mental health in the workplace
- What to do when mental health affects work
- Caring for your mental health while working from home
Causes of Poor Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental health is personal for everyone, and it’s a very important part of life. When mental health is good, you’re able to think clearer, feel more confident, and feel more satisfied with life.
Your mental health also affects work performance. If your mental health is poor, you’ll have a harder time focusing and you may feel dissatisfied with your job. People have different windows of tolerance and what one person finds stressful, another may be unaffected by.
Difficult Coworkers
Every workplace is prone to difficult relationships and people who are hard to work with. Difficult co-workers make work just that much more difficult by creating problems both small and large.
Office politics and personal drama can leak into the workplace and make work more stressful than it needs to be.
Crunch
Crunch is a common issue across many industries. It’s the practice of increasing work hours to as many as 85 hours a week. For some people, this is a good opportunity to get overtime, but for most, it’s a stressful time that doesn’t increase pay because they’re salaried.
Working crunch hours is not something to celebrate. It’s a quick way to burn out and experience mental health issues.
Drop in Productivity
Productivity is something that can fluctuate. Some weeks are more productive than others. However, there are also times that productivity drops due to physical ailments and mental health issues.
Drops in productivity can cause additional stress and mental health issues due to fear of not getting enough done.
Hard-to-Deal-With Customers
Some clients or customers make work much harder by being difficult to work with. Having to serve a table of obnoxious guests or managing clients who demand a quick turnaround can make work feel less stable and therefore, more stressful.
Disorganization
Your workspace should work for you. When things get disorganized it’s easy to become quickly frazzled and overwhelmed. Having a disorganized workspace won’t give you mental health issues, but it won’t help either.
A disorganized workspace won’t work well for you and will make work more challenging in the long run.
The Job
Some jobs are simply stressful and there isn’t much you can do about it. Some jobs aren’t for everyone. For example, not everyone could handle the stress of being a:
- Bank teller
- Delivery driver
- Law enforcement officer
- Nurse or other health professional
Jobs that are particularly stressful are not for everyone and before you make the decision to go down a stressful career path, consider if it’s for you.
Unemployment
Work related mental health issues don’t only come while working. Unemployment is also a source of mental health issues.
Experiencing unemployment is correlated to experiencing mental health issues. 80% of people who experience a mental health illness are unemployed. While experiencing times of unemployment, it’s common to experience a dip in mental health.
Related Article: What to Do When Unemployed
What to Do When Mental Health Affects Work
Stress at work is a normal thing. Many jobs have hard seasons and stressful times, but there is a point where something has to happen. Even during typical workplace stress, these tips can be used to improve your mental health at the workplace.
Take a Break
The weekend is not always enough to get enough rest. During busy seasons it’s easy for weekends to get filled with outings, family gatherings, and chores that aren’t actually restful.
One of the best ways you can improve your mental health while working is to take breaks. You can do this in several ways including:
- Taking a walk during your break
- Taking off Monday to extend your weekend
- Going on a deserved vacation
Frequency of breaks depends on you. Some people would rather save up their PTO and use it for a long vacation, while others will prefer to take days off more frequently.
Reset and Organize Your Workspace
Feeling overwhelmed at work can be exacerbated by a messy or unorganized work space. Working in a clean, organized space can clear your mind and help you stay focused through the entire work day.
Take some time every morning or during your workday to straighten up your workspace and clear your mind.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
While at work, you can use relaxation techniques to get quick moments of calm. Here are some relaxation techniques you can use to make it through a hard work day.
- Micro-meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Tactical distractions
- Pausing to consider your current bodily sensations
Practicing mindfulness will improve your ability to deal with stress and sudden changes, and relaxation techniques help improve your mindfulness.
Talk to A Trusted Co-Worker or Supervisor
Any kind of support you can get from within your organization should be utilized. However, mental health support is still something many businesses lack.
Companionship can go a long when struggling with a mental health issue. If you have trusted coworkers or supervisors, talk with one of them about what you’re experiencing.
Related Article: Investing in Employee Development
Seek Professional Help
Finding support at work isn’t always an option, and there are professionals who can help. Seeking professional help for mental health issues caused by workplace stress is a great option to find help and support.
There are many therapy and counseling options for workplace mental ailments. While attending counseling you’ll be able to talk through frustrations and learn positive behaviors.
If you’re looking for professional help you can contact your insurance company to help find coverage options, or look for online resources.
Caring For Your Mental Health While Working From Home
Working from home is a great opportunity that often increases productivity. However, it can sometimes feel isolating, and some report higher levels of depression while working from home.
These are some of the ways you can improve your mental health while working from home.
Created a Dedicated Workspace (Not in Your Bedroom)
A space in your home that is dedicated to work and nothing else is very important while working from home. Without a dedicated space, your work life will easily seep into your personal life.
If at all possible, your workspace should be separate from your relaxation space. This will help keep your work separate from your relaxation.
Setting up a home office or a nook will improve your focus, productivity, and ability to relax.
Create a Work Routine (With Built-in Breaks)
While working from home it’s easy to get distracted by any number of things. Homes are multi-functional so there are a lot of things you could be doing other than work.
Creating a strict work schedule can help you stay focused and minimize mental fatigue. To do this, block out an appropriate amount of time for your work tasks and time to relax. This will help you start and end work at appropriate times and give you more time to live your personal life.
If you live with roommates or family, let them know what times you cannot be distracted unless there is an emergency. This will help set boundaries around your work schedule.
Career Resources and Tips From the REDC
Work can be really hard, and it can negatively affect mental health. Taking care of your mental health will benefit your work life and your personal life.
Find the professional resources you need to prepare you for your career from the REDC at Yavapai College. If you’re looking for mental health resources for your employees, the REDC offers corporate training to help make sure your people are taken care of.