How do you feel about work lately? Stress, worry and workplace challenges all affect how happy, healthy and comfortable we feel at work. Looking after your wellbeing at work is important to avoid burnout. And when we tackle workplace challenges correctly, we can grow professionally and emotionally. Here are things that may affect your well-being in the workplace – and how you can tackle them.
1. Stress
Deadlines, presentations and targets are just a few of the things that contribute to workplace stress. To understand yourself and your work habits better, keep track of the times you feel stressed to better understand what can be done to alleviate it.
For example, if you notice you feel most stressed before meetings, schedule 10 minutes before each meeting to go over your notes so you feel more prepared. If part of your job is back to back meetings, make sure to give yourself a 15 min buffer between meetings. Meeting tools such as Calendly and YouCanBookMe can help with just that.
2. Fears
There are many fears that can hold us back professionally. Public speaking, flying, presentations and other routine parts of work can cause stress and anxiety.
Be upfront with your superiors about your concerns and discuss ways in which you can overcome these fears. By sharing with a colleague, you’ll have someone who can check in on your progress as you make steps – such as reading books and seeking help. ToastMasters is an organisation that helps with public speaking and communication skills, while MeetUp gathers people with similar interests – a great way to explore new social dynamics and build confidence outside the workplace.
3. Confidence
As mentioned above, fears can hold us back at work, but sometimes it’s our own self-belief that halts our progress. Sometimes people feel like a ‘fraud’ at work. Imposter syndrome is defined as a psychological pattern where people doubt their accomplishments and have a fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.
This lack of self-confidence can have a negative impact on your work, so it’s important you take steps to reaffirm your skills. For a quick read, you can check out the article “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” or delve a little deeper with the book “You’ve Got This: Escape the Mind-Trap of Imposter Syndrome “.
4. Work/Life Balance
Ah, the elusive work/life balance. What is too much? What is not enough? The perfect work life balance varies depending on who you are, your goals and your individual circumstances.
What’s important is feeling as though you are spending enough time working to feel as though you are achieving your work goals, and you also feel you have enough personal time.
Your Wellbeing at Work Checklist
- Write down your wellbeing goals Decide when you do and do not want to be contacted by work and ensure your notification settings are adjusted accordingly
- Identify your biggest work-related fears. Consider how you can think of it as a challenge and breakdown steps to tackle that fear
- Consider whether you would benefit from chatting to a professional about your wellbeing at work
- Set a work and personal time schedule. Try a weekly planner on iOS or Android.
- Create a list of your favorite mantras to read if you ever doubt yourself
- Schedule a review to see how much progress you’ve made and how different you feel
What You Can Do Today
Ask your colleagues, family and friends what they do to improve their wellbeing at work.
Share Your Wellbeing Tips
What do you do to stay happy and healthy at work? Let us know @TextExpander and in our group on Facebook.
