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6 tips for improving mental wellbeing in the workplace

Written by: Zoe Gater
Published on: 10 Feb 2020

Workplace Wellbeing

A staggering one in eight UK employees have taken time off work for stress in 2019 and 78 per cent of workers say they have felt anxious or depressed due to their job. It’s essential that employers must work on providing wellbeing support for their teams, to reap the best results for their businesses and keep employees positive.

Having the right systems, procedures and policies in place is vital to supporting employee wellbeing which benefits the whole work force by promoting productivity and efficiency of a business. Here are 6 tips to boost positivity throughout the workplace:

Take regular breaks

Work can feel overwhelming at times.

Sticking to tight deadlines, having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Often, just playing catch up. It can feel relentless and stressful. Not taking breaks when you’re feeling this way can only lead to one thing: burnout.

Its’s important to take even a couple of minutes away from the computer and outside in the fresh air. Go for a walk or sit in the sunshine for a while and take a breather. It makes a huge difference to the working day by having those moments to yourself, away from the relentlessness of the work schedule.

Flexible hours

We each have different demands outside of work, from family to health requirements so if possible, it may encourage employee loyalty and satisfaction. Everyone will benefit from a system where they have the time to work their hardest without distraction from other commitments.

Mindfulness training

Studies have shown that mindfulness can help to reduce stress and creates positive emotion.

Practicing mindfulness for 10 minutes each day, or in between tough situations can make a huge difference to overall wellbeing. By focusing on a sensory experience such as breathing, our attention is brought to the here-and-now.

Whistle while you work

Studies have shown that 90% of workers perform better when listening to music and 61% of these listen to music to make themselves happier.

This is because music releases dopamine, which can help improve focus. Health benefits of music include: reduction of stress and anxiety, decreases in pain, improvement of immune function, aiding memory and increase of motivation.

But, if your work requires deep focus, it’s best to listen to familiar songs as this is less likely to interfere with your ability to learn new information.

Nutrition

We all know that eating a well-balanced diet is important for our physical health, but it’s also key for good mental health. Nutritious foods have been found to decrease stress and anxiety, boosting mood and energy levels. But many offices are still stocked up with pastries and biscuits which don’t help to make our brains and bodies awake and alert. By providing healthy snacks and alternatives such as a juice bar, employees will notice marked changes in their wellbeing in a short space of time.

Getting the work-life balance right

Leaving work on time is often an issue for office workers, especially when deadlines are just around the corner. But overworking has been proven to be bad for your health and bad for your work. Extra hours build up into increased risk of cardiovascular disease, poor health, and fatigue. On top of this, it’s bad for productivity.

Building an end-of-day routine can help to tackle this and get you home quicker, being able to live your life outside of work. You can do this by tidying up your desk, reviewing your completed tasks at the end of the day, planning for tomorrow and breaking down the bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.