Workday mental health hygiene
We are all familiar with sleep hygiene. Nowadays, we are learning more about mental health hygiene by seeking out resources and establishing self-care practices that make us better humans for ourselves and for others. What about mental health hygiene during work hours? Have we thought about whether having 3534678 tabs open, literally and figuratively speaking, is of any benefit? Does it add stress or pleasure? Let’s think about it.
I used to be a chronic overachiever. Lots of unresolved childhood trauma contributed to me seeking love and approval from others by overworking myself. In addition, overworking was the only known way to cope and numb the pain I was carrying. Thanks to therapy I was able to figure most of it out (still am). One thing did not change - I was not able to stop my anxiety and prevent my brain from racing. Daily mindfulness practice really helped me see just how much my brain was struggling to stay still. How does it affect my work health or work mental health hygiene? Am I able to fully relax on my day off?
Struggling with being consistent with my to-do list, switching from one task to another, doing things scheduled for tomorrow 2 days earlier and putting off things that were urgent were my modus operandi. I finally asked my partner to join me on “bring-partner-to-work day” and help me with my task list.
Merely having another person to audibly describe my actions to throughout the day was an eye-opening experience to show me how much I trail off away or push myself to “tough it out” when my brain has no energy left, which ends up numbing me to a point of no return. Who knew I could take a break when I get frustrated?!
Here are some quick steps to help you stay centered throughout the day, allowing you to free time for yourself:
1. Create a calm ambiance.
Remember that we are not trying to rush through the day. Our goal is to stay present, so that we can observe what is happening within us. Put on calm music that gives you the same feeling that you get from imagining your safe space. Make a cup of tea. Light a candle. Put on your favorite lotion. Get your favorite candle. Switch your office chair to a cozy armchair with a fluffy pillow. There are no rules. You make the rules.
2. Notice your body and mind. Practice mindfulness throughout the process.
How does your body feel when you open up that email or look a task list? It’s okay to take a moment and talk yourself through the anxiety that’s rising. It’s okay to step away if needed. The key is to try to notice what your mind does. Mindfulness and self-awareness will help you be aware, which in return will help you take action to help yourself through it.
I noticed I was getting adrenaline rush before starting work or was looking for work to feel better when anxiety was visiting. Now that doesn’t sound normal. I’m not being chased by a lion, am I?! Was I addicted to my own stress hormones because I lived in a survival mode most of my life, so I found a different place (work) to get stress hormones form?
3. Finish the entire task.
It is so easy to skip around! Start writing the email, but then you have to look something up which makes writing the email take longer, and you would rather not do that… Whether today or tomorrow, that email will still be there waiting for you, so might as well finish it in one go. Does it feel absolutely dreadful? You can take a break.
4. Take frequent breaks
(and set an alarm for 10 minutes more than what you think you need, that way you get your full rest without rushing through or not having enough time).
During one of my memory or cognitive psychology undergrad classes I learned that
our brains are not biologically wired to work at full capacity for more than 90 minutes.
This goes against any workplace rules. We are expected to give 100% for the whole 8 hours. That is biologically impossible. Our brains use about 20% of energy during those times too, so we need frequent refuel whether in a form of nutrition, physical activity, or change of the environment.
Feel frustrated with a task and have hard time finishing it or it’s taking longer than expected? Take a break. Do 10 jumping jacks or simply stare out the window. Have a snack. Try to stay away from your phone or thinking about work.
Remember, this is not a time for chores or brainstorming! Of course, if you feel like doing a chore not a big deal – go ahead, this could be good change of scenery or activity. But the second “I should do xyz during my break” creeps in – nope, it’s time to rest. Work thoughts coming in – nope, add them to the task list.
My first day of taking a few 20-minute breaks felt like all I did was take breaks. It felt like maybe I spent half a day resting instead of working. I summed it up, and there were 3 breaks adding up to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Wow. Isn’t that crazy to imagine that we are so used to powering through that taking an hour break seems like a waste of time? I know you deserve more kindness from yourself.
5. Add new thoughts to your task list.
Don’t use tabs as a space for your brain dump and creating distraction from what’s at hand. I am guilty of that. By working on one thing, I get a million new ideas that somehow need to be attended to right at this moment. It can wait until you have time. Don’t want to forget it? Add it to the task list. Yes, adding brain storming sessions to the task list so you have an actual blocked out hour to think is totally reasonable. Having a day off and your brain is pulling you to a million new project ideas? Add to the task list, so that you have a designated time to think about it on your workday.
6. Learn your boundaries and enforce them.
This goes for boundaries surrounding others and yourself. Taking the full scheduled break teaches you that your rest time is valuable. It helps you demand the same from others. Don’t like accepting zoom calls in afternoon? Schedule your availability in the morning. If this is an area where you don’t have much experience in, it might feel weird at first. Loving yourself can be strange and uncomfortable if that’s something we are not familiar with. Resting and caring for yourself allows you to be better for you AND others.
7. Most importantly – be kind to yourself.
This is a learning process. Our main goal is to practice to just be and notice our mind in the midst of it. Notice what it’s trying to do. There will be days that will be harder to deal with, but with practice it will become easier.
Hope this helps you to stay centered during your workday if you rely on stress to get you fueled for work, like I do. Huge thanks to my partner for helping me through this process!
