Boosting your mental wellbeing

Mental health issues can impact people from any walk of life, at any time, anywhere. When businesses fail to take that into account, they can end up carrying the cost to the tune of billions every year.

Research has shown that the average worker takes five days off work a year due to mental health issues.

Add to that the current issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the associated uncertainty with jobs and exams, it’s no wonder that mental health issues are coming to the forefront of our thoughts.

Tiarnan Cotter, business manager at Michael Page Finance, says: ‘These problems can affect anyone, so it is vital employers invest wisely in mental health support and have systems in place to provide help to employees when they need it.

‘As an employee, it is likely you are going to come face-to-face with stressful periods in your working life. In fact, a lot of workers have experienced feeling stressed in the workplace, but often both those suffering and their managers don’t know how to handle the issue.

‘Recognising when you are feeling stressed and combatting your concerns to resolve and rectify your negative feelings is important.’

While you should look to your employers to provide support and help implement changes to improve your mental health, there are also beneficial steps you can take yourself.

Take a break

Take short breaks throughout the day. Stepping away from your screen for a few minutes every one to two hours can reduce headaches and give your mind time to relax.

Reach out

Often, people feel lonely at work. They don’t want to burden their family or friends with work issues that they might not understand. Chatting to your colleagues about work stresses is a good way to clear your mind and verbally organise your priorities. This might now have to be done virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s a good habit to get into.

Time off

Make sure you use your annual holiday allowance. A day off every one to two months can do wonders for your mental health. Winding down is a great way to de-stress.

Exercise

Exercising regularly gives your mind some downtime, encourages better sleep and keeps you physically fit at the same time.

Sleep on it

Sleeping properly promotes good mental health as a lack of sleep can cause high stress levels. Furthermore, if you are tired at work you are more likely to make mistakes, which can cause more stress later down the line.

Family and friends

Seeing people (virtually, at the moment, if you’re currently in a lockdown or social distancing situation) that you don’t work with regularly is good; chatting about everyday life and having fun is a great way to release some of the stress from your working week.

Above all, be sure to take care of your mental health and be aware of any changes in your wellbeing. As with any illness, it is much easier to recover if it is caught early.

Often with mental health issues, we ignore the symptoms until they become unmanageable and escalate to the point where it is even harder to recuperate. Looking after yourself should start with good mental health.

This article was first published in Student Accountant