Taking care of your wellbeing at work

For many of us, work is a major part of our lives. It is where we spend much of our time, where we get our income and often where make our friends.

Having a fulfilling job can be good for your mental health and general wellbeing. We all have times when life gets on top of us – sometimes that’s work-related, like deadlines or travel. Sometimes it’s something else – our health, our relationships, or our circumstances.

The value added to the economy by people who are at work and have or have had mental health problems is as high as £225 billion per year, which represents 12.1% of the UK’s total GDP. It’s vital that we protect that value by addressing mental health at work for those with existing issues, for those at risk, and for the workforce as a whole.

We can all take steps to improve our own mental health, and build our resilience – our ability to cope with adversity. Self-care is a skill that needs to be practised. It isn’t easy especially if we feel anxious, depressed or low in self-esteem.

The Mental Health Foundation has produced a handy guide with 10 evidence-based ways on taking care of our wellbeing at work, ranging from taking regular breaks and caring for others.

After reading The Mental Health Foundation guide, you should:

• Have an idea of how to manage your own mental health at work
• Have an idea of how to reach out to a colleague in distress
• Have an idea how you can work with others to make your workplace more mentally healthy for everyone

 
Info via The Mental Health Foundation, 2017