When we look after our mental health, we feel better, get more done at work, and have more energy to manage our work life balance. In essence, when our mental health is great, our professional life usually is as well.
However, when we don’t practice self-care or dedicate time to managing our mental health at work, the opposite becomes true. That’s why, to keep you enjoying your time in the workforce, we’ve put together a guide to looking after your mental health in the workplace. If you ask us, it’s the perfect way to kick off this year’s Mental Health Month!
What is Mental Health Month
To help Aussies better understand why mental health matters and how to look after ourselves, WayAhead facilitates Mental Health Month. With events, resources and tonnes of educational resources, their initiative ensures that those who need help know where to look!
Why Mental Health Month is So Important
If you think that mental illness isn’t all that common, it’s time you think again. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,
- 42.9% of people aged 16-85 have experienced a mental health disorder at some point in their lives
- 21.5% of that group had a 12-month mental disorder, and of that 21.5%
- 38.8% were between the ages of 16-24.
What these stats tell us is that mental illness is a national issue and that, if you’re going through a hard time, you’re not alone. Initiatives like WayAhead’s Mental Health Month help to provide education about these important issues, illuminate ways to get help, and chip away at the stigma associated with mental illnesses. In short, it’s an incredibly important event to get behind!
Mental Health Month Theme 2024: Let’s Talk About It
Every year, the team behind Mental Health Month picks a new theme reflecting current mental health-related topics and issues, and this year’s theme is ‘Let’s Talk About It.’ Highlighting the importance of checking in on our friends and seeking help when we need it, this year’s theme is super important, and we’re behind it 110%.
Want to know how to check in on your friends? Check out our R U Okay blog from earlier this year for some super-detailed instructions!
Why Mental Health Matters
If you belong to the 42.9% of people who have experienced a mental health disorder, you’ll know that the importance of mental health cannot be understated. Our mental health is a huge contributor to how we feel, our ability to connect with others, and our ability to get things done. In short, it affects almost every aspect of our lives, so we want to make sure we’re looking after ourselves!
Mental Health vs Physical Health: What’s the Difference?
While the difference between mental health vs physical health seems pretty obvious, there’s actually a lot of overlap. Many people believe that mental illnesses are ‘just in the sufferer’s head,’ however, many mental illnesses can present physical symptoms too. For example:
- Headaches
- Migraine
- Muscle tension
- Digestive issues
- Sleep issues
- Feelings of sluggishness
And that’s just naming a few.
Essentially, what we’re trying to say is that there’s a considerable crossover between mental health vs physical health, so don’t downplay the severity of mental illnesses!
Why is Mental Health at Work so Important?
One of the ways we can protect our mental health is by ensuring that our work environment is positive and uplifting. After all, poor working environments are proven to pose a serious risk to mental health! The trick is to look for companies that prioritise employee wellbeing. That way, you know that the team you spend 8 hours a day with will uplift you, rather than dragging you down.
Trust us, the positive effects of looking after your mental health at work are well worth the effort you put in; invest in your mental health now and watch your happiness, job satisfaction and productivity skyrocket!
Mental Health at Work: Risk Factors
To help you figure out whether your workplace is helping or harming your mental health, we’ve put together a list of potential risks to mental health at work. If you can relate to any of these, it might be time to schedule a chat with your supervisor to talk through any concerns.
- Excessive workloads
- Lack of support and training
- Long and inflexible hours
- Poor working environment or conditions
- Lack of control over workload
- Violence, harassment or bullying
- Job insecurity
- Unclear roles
- Discrimination and exclusion
How to Improve Your Mental Health at Work
If you are feeling a little down in the dumps (or you know that you suffer from a mental illness), there are ways to improve things. With a little bit of trial and error, and a lot of dedication, we’re sure that at least one of these strategies for improving your mental health will do the trick!
Talk About Your Feelings
Everything feels so much worse when you just bottle it up. That’s why one of the best ways to feel better is by talking about your feelings with someone you can trust! Whether it’s a friend, family member, or even a trusted co-worker, schedule a rant session and get honest – who knows, it might even inspire others to do the same!
Take a Mental Health Day
When things feel like they’re all too much, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend the day trying to supress unwanted emotions at work. Listen to your body, and if it’s telling you that you need a day off, take it! Spend the day doing something that makes you happy and give yourself time to process emotions – we can’t overstate the difference that a good cry session can make!
Look After Your Body
When you’re not feeling mentally well, cooking a nutritious meal or going for a walk is often the last thing you want to do, but trust us, they’re the things that will make you feel better. Looking after yourself at home is key for improving your mental health at work, so put that time aside for self-care.
Set Boundaries
If you’re a self-proclaimed yes man, your lack of boundaries might be contributing to your negative mental health at work. To find a sense of calm and balance, try talking to a supervisor about solidifying your role and responsibilities – that way you won’t have to take on more than you can!
Ask For Help
Last, but by no means least, ask for help when you need it! There are so many resources to help Australians struggling with their mental health, so whether you want to seek help through someone you’re close to, or head straight to a helpline, make sure you do what you need to do to look after yourself.
Don’t Forget About Overall Wellness!
Looking after your mental health is a great idea, but don’t forget about these strategies to improve your overall wellness. Take our tips from both articles are you’re bound to feel like the healthiest you possible!
Working for an Employer Who Puts Your Mental Health First
You might not know this (we sure didn’t when we first joined the workforce), but your employer has a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of their employees!
We know: it’s tricky to tell if a potential employer is a true mental health advocate or not, but by choosing one of our employer partners, it takes out all of the guesswork. You could say that we’re pretty picky when choosing who we want to team up with, so by choosing a future employer from our dedicated employers page, you know you’ll be working alongside teams that truly care.
To discover a role in which you’ll always be put first, explore our employer partners today!
