About 80% of the workforce reports poor mental health, and around 47% of professionals consider workplace-related stress to be the biggest factor affecting their mental health, as per a study by <a href= " https://www.britsafe.in/publications-and-blogs/safety-management-magazine/safety-management-magazine/2022/deloitte-study-shows-80-per-cent-of-employees-report-poor-mental-health/> Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP (DTTILLP)

The mental health of professionals in the Indian workplace is alarming but remains one of the most critical yet overlooked aspects.

Toxic workplaces, lack of work-life balance, poor career growth, and excessive workload are some of the factors contributing to poor mental health, causing ailments like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and much more.

Additionally, the post-pandemic work environment has normalized isolated working, lack of schedule, and uncertainty, impacting employee morale significantly.

But it’s time to change this! While your situation could be hard to improve immediately, there are some steps you can implement to have better mental health.

How to improve mental health in the workplace?

Here are five tips to improve mental health in the workplace.

1. Take time off

Work ethic is good, but we often confuse it with overworking. Going the extra mile is the way to go, but when going gets tough, consider taking a break.

With our hectic lifestyle, it is easy to get demotivated & stressed, but the solution is as simple as taking time to treat yourself. So, utilize your leaves and take some time to cool off.

Use this time to introspect and assess your situation to find ways to feel better at work. If nothing comes to mind or taking time off seems futile, follow the next tip.

2. Build rapport and stay connected with your co-workers

Being a lone wolf is good, but constantly working alone can be nerve-wracking for anyone, making it difficult to focus and perform efficiently.

With companies adopting remote and hybrid work schedules post-pandemic, siloed working has become the new normal. Sure, it takes away the stress of commuting and lets you work from the comfort of your home, but it also brings about a sense of isolation, leaving little room for camaraderie and personal connection.

It can lower morale and contribute significantly to mental stress. Having someone you can rely on, who understands your situation can help you perform better and develop better workplace relationships.

So, take the reins of your professional life and take the initiative to build a good rapport with your team and stay connected with them. Working together can take the load off and help you feel relaxed. Here are some ways to go about it:

  1. Set up an online buddy system
  2. Schedule regular catch-ups
  3. Use the time saved in commuting for team bonding
  4. Have virtual water cooler conversations
  5. Calls > emails

You can read about these in detail in the article Ways to build strong team relations while working remotely

3. Tap out of workaholism

Working hard and workaholism are not the same. While the former is about work ethic, workaholism is a disease, and even WebMD agrees with us.

This is a direct quote from one of their articles ,

Like other forms of addiction, workaholism can have significant health consequences, experts say, including significantly higher work-related stress and job burnout rates, anger, depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic symptoms such as stomachaches and headaches.

Today, many think workaholism is a good thing, but it is the leading cause of workplace stress and can affect your personal life too. If you are not sure about being a workaholic, here are some signs that will help you assess your situation:

  1. Always the last one to logout
  2. Constantly thinking about work
  3. Checking emails even when on leave
  4. Having a loaded leave balance because taking a break makes you uncomfortable
  5. The urge to reply to any email or message within 5 minutes
  6. Working on projects not assigned to you

If you checked all these boxes, you are a workaholic. Being a workaholic can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, lack of focus, and poor quality of life, among other harmful effects.

It may work today, but in the long run, being a workaholic is counterproductive. Here are some ways to tap out of workaholism:

  1. Follow a strict work routine
  2. Logout when the day ends
  3. Make time for your personal life
  4. Develop work-life balance
  5. Evaluate and only work on projects that belong to you; stop taking up excessive work. Remember, not your circus, not your monkey!
  6. Take regular breaks during the day
  7. Rest up

4. Find an hour for self-care

Caring about work is cool, but have you considered self-care?

By practicing self-care, you can take time to do things that make you happy and help you relax, further improving your mental health. Sparing an hour for yourself can help you reduce stress levels, feel energized and become self-aware.

The trick is to find an activity that helps you de-stress and makes you feel healthy. Some self-care ideas to explore are:

  1. Pursue a long-lost hobby
  2. Work out
  3. Plant and nurture plants
  4. Journal your thoughts
  5. Meditate
  6. Read for an hour daily
  7. Cook your favorite meal
  8. Have your favorite beverage

Self-care may sound like a simple idea, but it can help you improve your health, boost your self-esteem, reduce anxiety and stress, and pave the way to a better life.

5, Consult a psychiatrist/corporate therapist

Last, but not least if nothing else works, and if you continue to feel burnt-out and anxious about work, consider consulting a therapist. With therapy, you can identify the root cause of your workplace stress and treat it well.

You can consider visiting a therapist or take online consultation through portals like:

  1. Mindpeers
  2. Manastha
  3. Amahahealth
  4. Felicity
  5. Betterhelp

Conclusion

Mental health problems can impact your life and affect your personal and professional life. Taking initiative to improve your mental health is also a road to self-care.

In this article, we covered five ways to improve mental health in the workplace. If you are going through something, make sure to talk to someone or seek help from professionals apart from making these lifestyle changes.

Career Advice