Business owners worldwide are becoming increasingly aware of the mental health struggles their employees might face and find ways to support those who struggle. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of companies out there that negatively influence their workers’ well-being. 

Poor mental health can affect your productivity, make establishing new connections more challenging, and even influence future career opportunities. That’s why you must learn to pinpoint what makes you feel emotionally drained. Then you might want to consider changing the perspective you have on your career, consult HR or management, learn to set clear boundaries, and look for professional support.

The most important thing is that you don’t ignore your struggles and just wait for them to pass because they most likely won’t and instead will get worse over time. Here’s everything you need to know about the steps you can take when your job hurts your mental health.

Identify What Is Making You Feel Stressed

When you are feeling stressed at work, try to pinpoint where it is coming from. Certain activities might be causing feelings of dread or anxiety, but external factors might also play a role in your stress. Try to determine the root of your stress.

For instance, many workers feel uncertain about returning to the standard work model due to the recent coronavirus outbreak. With Omicron affecting the lives of millions of people every day, many companies revise their return-to-office plans — and rightfully so.

If your worker does not provide a coronavirus testing kit for every employee, you might feel stressed about the situation. Alternatively, you may be frustrated by the lack of support that you are getting from your boss or colleagues. Or perhaps you don’t feel like you’re making any progress towards your goals.

Whatever the source of your stress is, try to identify it and address it immediately.

Set Clear Boundaries With Your Workload

Many of us feel overwhelmed by our workload because we tend to take on too many tasks at once. Doing this might be due to stress or anxiety, but it can also be caused by perfectionism. Either way, you must learn to set boundaries and stick to them.

It might be hard at first because we all want to be seen as good employees who never say no. However, if you find yourself saying yes too often and end up with an unmanageable workload, it’s time to learn how to say no.

Be firm when communicating this with your manager or colleagues and explain why you had to decline their request. You can also politely ask for their support to help you get through all the tasks on your plate.

Find the Right Balance Between Work and Your Personal Life

It would help if you learned how to balance your professional and personal life. A healthy mind cannot exist without a healthy body and vice versa. You need both to live a happy and fulfilling life. Although there’s nothing particularly wrong with dedicating yourself to your career, don’t forget about the importance of family and friends, hobbies, and passions. 

It’s never too early to start making time for those things that are important for your well-being! Make sure that you have time to exercise, play with your children, go on dates with your significant other, or do other things that make you happy.

Take Time for Yourself

After spending most of our time working, it is easy to feel drained. Simply put, if we don’t take time for ourselves, we might burn out, which could lead to even more significant problems down the road. So, make sure that you find time for yourself.

Whether that means going on a date with a loved one, eating lunch in the park, or simply taking some time out of the office to enjoy a cup of coffee — make sure that you carve out some time for yourself every day! These alone moments will help reset your mind and leave you feeling refreshed, ready, and energized.

Keep Working on Yourself and Your Career Goals

Making sustainable changes in your life isn’t easy — especially when it comes to careers and life goals. Even though we can try our best to improve our mental health at work by adjusting our workload and forming bonds with co-workers, there will always be times when we struggle and feel overwhelmed.

That’s why we must keep working on ourselves and always keep an eye on our goals! Keep doing what makes you happy, keeps you motivated, and encourages you to grow as a person. If at some point you start feeling that your current position isn’t really heading in the direction that you’d like it to, consider making some changes — don’t be afraid to switch the departments or even start looking for different job opportunities.

Reach Out for Professional Help

If you find that you are still struggling to cope after trying to handle your stress and mental health struggles at work on your own, it might be time to seek professional help. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to speak to someone indifferent to your problems who can provide valuable insights and advice.

If you feel like you need help from someone who has experience dealing with workplace stress and mental health issues, you might want to consider talking to a licensed psychologist. They will be able to help you identify what is making you feel overwhelmed, address the underlying causes of your stress, and learn how to find the right balance between your professional and personal life.

Conclusion

If you experience mental health struggles in the workplace, it is essential to remember there are many ways to find a balance between your work and personal life. Often, all it takes is accepting the helping hand.

If you find that your job is constantly getting in the way of having a healthy mindset and a healthy body, consider looking for another career option. Remember that you deserve to feel happy and fulfilled in your workplace, and it’s never too late to change things around.

Alternatively, if you want to keep your current position, you can always turn to licensed psychologists for help. This way, you will gain advice from a professional and learn more about the available options.