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How to Look After Your Mental Health on a Busy Day at Work
When you’re a busy professional with a jam-packed schedule, it can be hard to fit in the quality time for yourself that you need. But even on a busy day, taking care of your mental health is important, and can actually support your productivity in the workplace.
By Mia Harris, 14 July, 2023
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the top ways to look after your mental health on a busy day at work.
Fuel your body
It’s easy to neglect your need for sustenance when you’re stressed – in fact, you may tell yourself that you just don’t have the time to take a lunch break. But our bodies need fuel to function, and if we don’t get it, our work quality is going to start to suffer.
If blocking out a full hour to eat and rest is difficult, consider keeping water and healthy snacks on your desk so that you’ll have access to them throughout the day. Reach for them as you work, and you won’t have to worry about your energy levels plummeting as the day progresses.
Take a break outdoors
Getting out in nature is a great way to reduce stress and feel grounded. While not all of us are lucky enough to have a park near our workplaces, even just stepping outside to take a few deep breaths can clear your mind and restore your energy levels.
Open a window to avoid your work area becoming too stuffy, or display some plants on your desk to bring the outdoors in and help your work area to feel more zen.
Stick to a schedule
The best way to avoid overwhelm is to know what you’ve got to do and when you’re going to do it. There’s nothing worse than not knowing where to begin on your mountain of work, or finding at the end of the day that you’ve forgotten a crucial deadline.
Consider creating a list or schedule of tasks that have to be completed during the working day. Assign each task a time slot, and then most importantly, schedule in some time for relaxing, too. That way, you’ll know that you have dedicated time to have a break that won’t take away from the rest of your working day.
Practice mindfulness
Ultimately, the stress of a busy day at work only has to get to you if you allow it to. Take a couple moments to just sit with yourself and think about this day in the grand scheme of things. Will the task that is making you stressed matter in a month’s time? Sometimes, the things that take a toll on our mental health day-to-day aren’t actually as worth as much worry as we think they are when we look at the bigger picture.
Of course, it’s never wise to bail on your work altogether – but taking a moment for mindfulness and reflection may help you to move forward with your day with a little less stress and anxiety.
To sum up
While work is important, it should never come before your mental wellbeing. In fact, when we don’t look after ourselves, we start to experience burnout – which neither employer or employee want in the workplace. So, it’s best to take a moment for yourself whenever you can, and listen to what your body needs throughout any busy day.