In the current scenario when everyone is talking about physical health and stressors related to work environment, we tend to forget that mental health is equally important in-fact , more important . We do need to take care of our metal health, which is affected by multiple factors surrounding us. To begin with we need to identify the main stressors which affect our metal health. As we all are different individually we tend to behave differently to same situations. And this is because of the fact that we come from different backgrounds, with different perceptions , different value systems and with different experiences altogether. So, it may happen that few things may disturb me and but not the other person. And this happens as said earlier because, we all are different. But, one thing that we all can agree upon is that we all get stressed out at some point or the other in our lives. And this stress can affect our mental health. So, we need to have a regular check on our physical and mental health and yes there is no one way to stay mentally healthy. There are various ways in which we can take care of our mental well being. Following are the four areas which can act as a source to affect our mental well being and how can we take care of it:
Workplace – we tend to spend a major portion of our day at our work place and how we tend to do our work tells a lot about how we can manage our mental health at workplace. We need to take care of few things , in-fact make few unsaid rules like – knowing your rights and responsibility, limiting your extra working hours, don’s take work home , take regular breaks, it’s ok to say “no”, set realistic deadlines and try to abide by it. There are various tips and tricks to take care of work life balance which can act as a major contributor to stress. Work life balance is not about giving 50% to work and 50% to life, it’s basically prioritizing what is important at that particular point of lime in life and devoting more time to that particular aspect. So, the key is not trying to balance but to prioritize the right thing at the right time.
Another major aspect can be Quality Work Life, it refers to the workplace environment, not only in physical form but also in terms of the relationships we hold with our colleagues, our peers, and our subordinates. We need to try and see that we maintain a cordial relationship with people around us, so as to have a happy and healthy environment to work in.
Lifestyle – Our everyday habits which tend to form our lifestyle in the long run may affect mental health , like inadequate sleep, less exercise, smoking and drinking habits , no “me” time , eating healthy etc. Apart from eating right we need to ensure that we are giving enough time to our body in terms of sleep, so that we are rejuvenated the next morning and are able to give our 100%. Having right sleeping schedule is as important as having a right diet. So, neither can be compromised
Social Relationships – Healthy relationships support good mental health, while social isolation and poor relationships can be risk factors for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Part of building strong relationships is having good, open, and regular communication. This can be done by sharing your thoughts and feelings with family, friends and trusted work colleagues.
Thoughts- There are many studies that show that psychological therapies can help us to manage the way we think and behave. These therapies recognise that if we can alter our thinking and look rationally at difficulties that arise, we can shift from negative or unhelpful thoughts and reactions to more positive and problem-solving approaches. We should keep our selves away from unhelpful thinking like – Black and white thinking, Leaping to conclusions What ifs?, Over-generalising , Spiral of negatives, Looking too far ahead, Unkind or mean to oneself and Strong, uncompromising words. And instead should indulge in Mindfulness and Positive thinking.
JIMS, Kalkaji
For more information visit: www.jagannath.org/
