It’s World Mental Health Day!

World Mental Health Day is an annual awareness day focused on improving wellbeing and mental health across the world, through communities and encouraging conversations! This years theme is focused on prioritising mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Why are we focused on workplace wellbeing this year?

We live in a fast-paced world, where everything is changing constantly, and nothing is standing still! Whether it’s our personal lives and feeling that we have lots to do, technology moving fast or the deadlines at work. These issues can lead to burnout and chronic stress.

Research has identified that 91% of adults in employment (who were surveyed) in the United Kingdom said that they had experienced high levels of pressure and stress in the past 12 months. When we experience high levels of stress it can lead to ill health and days off sick.

We have decided to write a blog talking about:

• Burnout and chronic stress
• How to notice signs of burnout
• How to cope with burnout and avoid it through a range of therapy techniques

What is burnout and how do I know I might be feeling it?

Burnout or chronic stress mostly appears through the workplace (but it’s not the only factor, we can also experience burnout at college, university or even in our personal lives). Burnout is not a medical or mental health condition, but it can lead to anxiety and depression because we experience chronic exhaustion physically, mentally and emotionally. Often, we can develop burnout by experiencing long-term stress and feel under constant pressure to do more and more…. We only have so much energy per day and often we will push ourselves to the maximum which leads to our bodies feeling exhausted and drained.

Burnout can occur when we have repeated and prolonged high demands with limited resources. If we experience burnout, we are likely to feel more tearful, overwhelmed, anxious and less motivated.

The signs of burnout include:

Physical

• Feel very tired and exhausted most of the time (we might notice falling asleep on the sofa very early in the evenings or on the train home)
• Sleeping difficulties – we might find it hard to get off to sleep or stay asleep
• Frequent headaches and jaw pain (we might clench our jaw at night)
• Digestive problems such as feeling nausea, loss of appetite or going to the toilet more
• Frequent illnesses g. the common cold
• High blood pressure

Emotional

• Feeling helpless, worthless or even trapped
• Self doubt – feeling like a failure, not good enough or imposter syndrome
• Overwhelmed
• Lonely – feeling alone in the world
• Loss of interest or enjoyment in things
• Persistent feelings of anxiety, dread and worry

Behavioural

• Procrastination or taking longer to do things
• Difficulties focusing and concentrating
• Becoming isolated and withdrawn from others
• Shouting more at others
• Harder to get out of bed in the mornings

It’s important to know that not everyone experiencing burnout will notice all of these signs. We will often notice a few of them. Burnout does not happen overnight, it chips away at us, it’s gradual and then suddenly we notice it and by recognising the signs we can manage it before it worsens.

How can I look after myself if I have burnout (or before it happens)?

Great question… there are many different things we can do and you might find some techniques really work and others feel a little odd. It’s about finding the right techniques for you (and no two people are the same). So… what can we do?

It depends on what might be causing you to feel burnout, so the first thing is to sit down, think and write what could be contributing to you feeling this way. What is currently happening in your personal life (e.g. your relationships, home life), what is happening at work? How are you managing your health at the moment? Are there financial worries? Is it due to lack of sleep? You could use the 5 area cycle to help you explore what you’re thinking, feeling, physically experiencing in your body and behaviours. 

Once you have some ideas as to what is causing you to feel this way you can explore potential solutions to help you feel more like you again.

We have included some examples to help you.

1. Work and employment – if your work is causing you to feel chronic stress you could

• Talk to your manager about how you feel and consider whether re-structuring your day could help e.g. having a dedicated office day, workspace at home and ensuring that you take regular breaks in the morning and afternoon (lunch is extremely important as it can help us regulate our blood sugar levels and keep our focus!)
• Set boundaries and clearly defining your day (if possible!), turning off your work phone in the evenings and putting your out of office on. If you’re working from home you could shut the door on your dedicated workspace, go out for a walk to help you separate work from your home life or even set up an activity planner with someone you live with so you develop a routine.
• Keep in regularly contact with your colleagues- sometimes we can feel isolated at home (or even in the office), why not schedule a coffee break during the day to speak with a colleague or debrief at the end of the day? Just say Hi!

2. Physical health – if your health is causing you to feel stressed (and we know it can be challenging especially if we have a long-term health condition) you could try:

• Keep hydrated – drink that water and reduce your caffeine intake! It can help us to feel more focused and ready to go! You could keep a litre bottle of water on your desk to remind you to drink.
• Keeping active – we’re not talking about going for a run (although, do that if you enjoy it!) we’re talking about movements throughout day, we do need to keep active and doing some kind of movement and exercise can help us reduce stress and anxiety. You could every hour plan to go for a walk either outside or around the house for 10 minutes, walking on the spot whilst working and doing some stretches! You’ll be surprised how much it helps.

3. Sleep and anxiety – if you’re noticing that it’s hard to get off to sleep or stay asleep at night, we have some helpful hints and tips for you to try.

• Using a diary – keeping a diary can help you to see themes and patterns related to your sleep, it may also help you to identify what is impacting your sleep. (sometimes people use their fitbit to track their sleep… if you do this, make sure your fitbit is on do not disturb!)
• Routine – going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning will help your body getting into the groove of going to sleep. You might find having a warm shower before bed helps, practicing mindfulness (but be sure not to have the TV on or be looking at your phone as it causes you to stay awake)
• Relaxation – the body needs time to rest and relax and doing relaxation techniques before bed can help such as progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques or mindfulness. You may find the HeadSpace app helpful for this as it has a section just about sleep.

The most important thing…. Don’t face burnout or chronic stress alone. Talk to us.

We are dedicated to changing the world about mental health one step at a time. We’re here for you to talk through what you’re experiencing and support you on your therapy journey feeling like you again. We will be there every step of the way. You can book a free initial appointment with one of our dedicated therapists by using our online booking form or you can email us at [email protected] or call us on 01256 975 045.

If you’re an employer and you’re looking for advice and guidance to support your team, please contact us via email ([email protected]) and we’d be happy to talk through our team wellbeing webinars and events that could support you.