The theme of this years’ World Mental Health Day marked on 10th of October each year is centered around the significance of mental health and well-being at the workplace. It’s relevance in our hectic lifestyle in the contemporary world is definitely undeniable, as our workplace often becomes the source of a lot of pressure and workload. It is evident to note the ever-increasing levels of stress stemming from our workplace in today’s scenario. With the changing lifestyles, increasing competitive nature of the corporate setups, higher stakes involved, it is not unexpected for many of us to have increasingly rising ambitions and desires for our career.

However, such aspirations inherently bring with them its own set of stresses and challenges as a part and parcel of our daily lives. Therefore, it becomes necessary for us to spare some time to recall the various factors commonly leading to stress at our workplace settings, and techniques of overcoming the same. Some of these stressors maybe realistic, while some may not even be in our control. We need to learn to maintain a balance, not letting our work stress permeate into our personal lives and vice versa.

Stress-busting Tips at the Workplace

1.      Create a work-life balance. Make it a point to disconnect from work on the weekends. Effective time management is the key to staying mentally healthy. It is important to set realistic goals, prioritize tasks and maintain a balance between demands of work, family as well as personal life. This is important to ensure a stress-free life both at home as well as at work.

2.      Support systems at work. A lack of social support could serve as a major source of stress at the workplace. Enjoy some time with your colleagues outside the office environment as well. Make an extra effort to build relationships, and they shall inevitably be a good return for your investment.

3.      Healthy lifestyle choices. Yes, it cannot be reiterated enough. A disciplined and healthy lifestyle is very beneficial in maintaining mental health. An adequate sleep, a proper diet, staying away from substances, and regular physical exercise would help us stay physically as well as mentally fit. Mental and physical health are directly interconnected. Despite a sedentary lifestyle as most of us lead today, it is a must to include some form of physical activity regularly.

4.      Prioritize well. There will inevitably be times when you have too many things to be done. Rather than getting flustered, reorder the priorities in your head, striking off the less important or urgent ones and focussing on the present instead. At times like this, it’s important to take a step back and introspect on the reasons of our actions and why we want to achieve what we’ve wanted to.

5.      Be realistic. Remember, life is not meant to be a smooth sailing journey. There are bound to be both highs and lows, and it is vital for us to be prepared for them. Being overly optimistic could actually translate into unrealistic expectations. It is important to set practical goals, prioritize tasks and to keep in mind any extraneous factors as well.

6.      Use humour. If you make an effort to find opportunities to smile and laugh often, not only would this help lighten your mood, but it will also have a positive effect on the team members around you. This is the cheapest and easiest stress-buster ever!

7.      Don’t forget to take out time for yourself. It is important to allot a ‘me time’, allowing yourself to get refreshed. It is ok for you to have a “do nothing” in your to-do list. Listen to yourself, and take time out from work and family. Planning a short vacation could be one of the best ways to de-stress! It is important to keep aside some time for a recovery period along the way, to help replenish the energy being invested by you. This is not just a reward to give yourself for your efforts, but also a necessity for you to rejuvenate and take care of your own needs.