It is essential that we look after ourselves in a certain way to make sure we do not fall into a state of depression.
The mental health of women and men plays a huge role in the workplace. Unfortunately, employees taking on more responsibilities or working longer hours doesn’t always result in more productivity. Instead, it may cause overworked and unhappy members of staff which could end up negatively affecting the bottom line. We surely want to achieve the end goal at any company; however, we must find a balance between how to cope with workload stress and in the same breath, how to achieve the goal.
It is essential that we look after ourselves in a certain way to make sure we do not fall into a state of depression. We must make sure we focus on one thing at a time. Keep in mind, no matter in what sector you work, no matter your position or title, it will always come with a workload. Employees are not always going to get everything done every single day, but if they at least know the job priorities, then those will get done.
One easy way to make sure everyone is on the same page is to introduce a short morning briefing. In larger companies, we can split this into departmental meetings, but in a small business, it could involve everyone. Set a timer for 10 minutes and each member of the staff can share what they are working on. The manager will then have a clear overview and we can tweak it if necessary.
Understanding your beautiful mind
This is the goal that we are currently chasing. The goal of being mentally safe from depression, feeling overwhelmed and always thinking negatively.
The brain controls what you think and feel, how you learn and remember, and the way you move and talk. But it also controls things you're less aware of — like the beating of your heart and the digestion of your food. We need to think of the brain as a central computer that controls all the body's functions. If we overwork it, it can get tiring and we can suffer severely due to this. Not only will it affect us mentally, but it will affect everything around us like our job, relationships with family and friends, etc. The brain is like a battery that needs to be charged.
Are you overloading your Mental CPU?
It cannot constantly work because eventually, it will let us know that it’s deteriorating, and so we can fall into a state of depression, and this can be fatal. We would feel isolated and lock our bedroom doors, shy away from talking to anyone, be miserable and feel like we are nothing. This is the most dangerous, and the reason we need to rest, why we need to control and manage the CPU (Central Processing Unit) that is our brain, is so that we prevent all of that.
Tips to help you manage your mental health
To prevent negativity and manifest positivity:
Create a good atmosphere at work
Manage our workloads
Take regular breaks in-between
Eat well
Sleep well
Minimise the time you spend on the net and on your phone
Image Source: SADAG
Conclusion: The goal
The goal of being mentally safe from depression, feeling overwhelmed and always thinking negatively, is to manage our time effectively and to do things quickly so it does not linger. We will always feel overwhelmed, or at least most of the time, but fortunately, there are ways to deal with it. Let’s speak to someone or write it down, cry or even go into our basements and punch the punching bag. Do whatever you can to manage your mental health because there is light at the end of the tunnel.
By Darren Swartz
DLK Group Supports the following beneficiary in the DLK group Nantes Unity Race:
Friends of Valkenberg Trust
The Friends of Valkenberg Trust works in conjunction with hospital staff at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital to promote the recovery of people with serious mental illnesses. This is vital, as it means people can get back to their lives, their families, their jobs and their communities!
Telephone:+27 (021) 447 2092
Volunteer Information and Applications:projects@friendsofvalkenberg.co.za
Do support this amazing initiative by joining us on September the 24th for the Unity Race
Well written article Darren. We can all take something from this.