6 Ways To Take Care Of Your Wellbeing At Work
There can be a common misconception that taking care of your well-being at work insinuates that you're lacking in work ethic or even respect for your company. But it's actually the opposite.
How else do you expect to take care of your stress levels, avoid burnout, and stay productive? Most employees brush these things under the rug... until they can't anymore.
According to Mental Health UK, 1 in 5 working adults needed to take time off work in the past year due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress.
This isn't to say that your company doesn't need to put more policies in place to protect your well-being and mental health, but you yourself have a responsibility to take care of your well-being. It may feel completely counterproductive to prioritise yourself in work, especially if you work in a fast-paced environment, but the small things will make a big impact.
1. Take your lunch break
This is a simple, but beneficial thing that you may be missing out on.
In fact, according to The Independent, UK employees only take 11 out of 20 of their lunch breaks each lunch. And we get it, you want to get work done and doing that extra hour may make you feel more in control... and more productive.
Well, 73% of UK workers said that taking a lunch break makes them more productive (Compass Group UK)
2. Create clear boundaries between work and home
If you want to lead yourself to burnout, have no boundaries between your work and your personal life.
It's become the norm, especially with working from home, for employees to "take work home". And this doesn't just mean physically working from home, it means working when they shouldn't be working. The reality is that sometimes working overtime happens. You often can't control these situations and it can help you to stay on top of things. But doing it so frequently that you're struggling to switch off, spend time with family, and get good sleep - that's when it's truly a problem.
Did you know that 70% of employees find it difficult to unwind after work? (Personnel Today) This makes sense because Hays reported that 52% of people reported working longer hours when working remotely than before COVID-19 (People Management).
The majority of the time, those emails can wait, LinkedIn doesn't need to be opened, and your laptop doesn't need to be opened on a weekend.
Give yourself that time to actually unwind and recharge.
3. Manage your time effectively
This is slightly different from the others but the way you work can have a significant impact on your overall productivity and wellbeing.
Managing your time properly will help you to:
Identify periods in the day when you're the most productive
Know how to prioritise tasks so the right things get done
Avoid missing deadlines
Avoid working overtime as often
Leading to less stress. Plenty of factors can come into a decreased well-being at work, but if you manage your day in a way that suits your priority, time, and productivity levels - it can help a whole lot.
4. Stay organised
Did you know that 27% of employees say they feel disorganised at work? (Simply Productive) Did you also know that that could be a key reason why you feel stressed at work?
It's easy to hold off organisational tasks "for tomorrow", but what happens if that tomorrow lasts months and you're now overwhelmed due to a lack of structure?
You could be so concerned with getting your "real work" done that you can have:
Deadlines missed
Tasks forgotten about (or not even read if you have a filled inbox)
Stress
Unproductivity
Spending time on unimportant tasks
Taking care of your well-being at work means taking care of your work.
5. Communicate workload and stress to your manager
It's rare for people to want to be vulnerable with their manager so this may feel like the last resort, but if it's causing burnout your ability to get tasks done is impacted - a conversation is absolutely necessary.
"But I want my boss to think that I'm a hard worker."
Burnout doesn't mean you're not a hard worker - it probably means the opposite.
"But I want my boss to think that I'm put together."
Burnout will begin to show if you don't deal with it quickly enough - so you may as well say something.
Begin the conversation by identifying the source of stress: is it workload, not understanding your role, or pressure to work long hours all the time? Then make note of symptoms: overwhelm, productivity, exhaustion etc.
But your goal isn't just to inform your manager, it's to create ways that you can practically support your well-being and productivity.
Coming prepared with potential solutions that you think could help improve things will show you're eager to make a change:
Ask if some work can be delegated
Ask for flexible working arrangements
Ask for more progress reviews so a manager can see the amount of work you're putting in
Ask for a structured conversation about their expectations of you
Ask about any tasks in particular you're struggling with
6. Take Your Annual Leave
Who doesn't love time off? Well, some people.
Workaholic, corporate culture has created a taboo and insane guilt around annual leave. In fact, 69% of employees don't take all their annual leave and 28% of American employees don't take it purely to demonstrate dedication to their job and not be seen as a 'slacker' (BBC)
Does this sound like you? If it does, let's look at the flip side. Forbes found that 42% of employees have left their jobs because they felt burnt out. And no, it's not because of workload, it was actually because of the result of mental and emotional stress due to working long hours and trying to keep up with unrealistic expectations set by the toxic excesses of hustle culture.
So take your annual leave, all of it. Take time to rest, and recharge and your mental health will thank you for it.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
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