10 Amazing Tips for Healthy Wellbeing
The Mental Health Foundation believes that overworked people should try to reduce stress through exercise, relaxation, or hobbies.
This is good advice, particularly during these stressful Covid related times. All working environments bring challenges – whether someone is remote working, office based or operating under a hybrid model.
Here are our 10 Super Tips for healthy wellbeing
Exercise:
It isn’t new to suggest that exercise does as much for our mental state as our physical. We all know the endorphins released by moving the body and working up a sweat. Unfortunately, when times get stressful and time is in short supply, exercise is one of the first items on the “to do list” that gets struck off. Make sure to schedule exercise just like any other essential activity and you will soon reap the rewards.
Build a daily routine
It can be argued that routine is boring – the “Groundhog Day” scenario comes to mind! However, during stressful times our mental state takes great solace from a routine – even the most basic. Sticking to the same sleeping and waking hours for example, is comforting to a racing mind. A mealtime structure is a good place to start. Other daily tasks can then be planned around this basic routine and our brains generally know what to expect on any given day thus calming erratic thoughts.
Take a Break/ Unplug
Nowadays, we tend to view being “super busy” as a badge of honour. We make ourselves available 24/7 through expectation or an internal desire to please. We respond to emails and texts immediately irrespective of time. This is not doing our mental health any favours. Taking a break should not be seen as laziness. We need time away from our jobs to rejuvenate and recharge. In fact, studies show that taking regular breaks from work make us much more productive in the long run – which leads nicely onto our next tip!
Work smarter, not harder
If we are tired and overworked, we simply do not have the mental capacity to be as productive as we may wish. 6 hours of focused alert work is far more valuable that 10 – 12 hours of brain fogged substandard efforts. Just because we are physically present does not mean we are working hard. So, decide to utilise time more effectively. Assign duties a completion time and avoid as best you can, spending time on tasks that aren’t productive. When the work is done, feel zero guilt about switching off until tomorrow!
Leave work at work
It can be very effective to introduce a ritual at the end of the day which signals to your brain that the workday is over and now it is your own time. This can be simply taking a long deep breath standing outside the office or taking a minute to close your eyes and acknowledge the end of the working day before starting the car. Giving the message to your brain that the workday is over, and everything associated with it is left behind will go a long way to improving stress levels.
Move away form the email
Responding quickly to emails outside of office hours can often make us feel we are giving the impression of commitment. In fact, we are creating an expectation that we will perform like this all the time and in turn, risk disappointing on the occasion we don’t respond immediately. It is perfectly acceptable not to respond to work emails when you are officially off the clock. If you feel uncomfortable with this, add a note to your emails stating that if the message was sent out of office hours you will respond in the morning. Once the recipient has a time frame for the reply they are much more accepting of a delayed response.
Home space v work space
Working from home has a lot of advantages particularly when it comes to the amount of time we spend commuting. However, the downside is that it can be very difficult to create boundaries. Working from the kitchen table is great in theory but it can be very difficult to “walk away” at the end of the working day. It is all too easy to keep going back to finish off that one last email or add to a presentation. You may think you are being more productive but in fact, you are preventing yourself from properly switching off and allowing yourself a real break which is essential for long term productivity.
Weekends : For you
This is another area where it is important to introduce boundaries. Like allowing yourself permission to finish work at a particular time, it is so important to give yourself a proper break where you completely switch off from work and allow priorities such as family, exercise, and relaxation to take centre stage. Eliminate the guilt at not being available and re-iterate to yourself that a proper break will allow you to be more present when you return to work on Monday.
New Hobbies (new social circle)
So, you have successfully switched off from work. Y
ou have created boundaries with your employer and co-workers. To really look after your mental health and wellbeing, it is a great idea to spend some your free time doing something that gives you joy and maybe as a bonus, enriches your social circle. Spending time on a hobby you enjoy is a proven endorphin releaser. So get out there and find something you enjoy. Your mental health will reap the rewards
Plan a holiday / break
Having something to look forward to has always been recognised as a mood lifter. We really lost this during covid as the lack of travel – even locally – shut down any prospects of booking a holiday. As restrictions ease and many of us are now vaccinated, we should plan for something fun. It doesn’t have to be a foreign holiday. We appreciate now more than ever, a weekend staycation or a visit to see friends or family. Little things can give us pleasure too.
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