We spend a great deal of our lives in the office, whether in a home office or corporate setting. This is where we make our bread and butter from roughly 9 am to 5 pm five days a week. Realizing that we want to make sure this space is peaceful and clean and can even bring us joy. Also, how we spend time in these spaces can significantly affect our mental health.
Five Tips to Keep Your Mental Health in Check During Your Daily Grind
- Peaceful Work Space, Peaceful You: Keep a tidy workspace and feel the zen vibes flowing! Messy desks can be stressful and look very unprofessional. Go wild at Staples and buy designer calendars, notepads, notebooks, and organizers. Bring a few pictures of family, friends, or pets to hang up, and put everything away at the end of the day so that when you come in the next day, your workspace is a happy place.
- Take Breaks: Staring at your computer for hours on end is terrible for your eyes and health. Be sure to take breaks, even tiny ones, like walking to a window and soaking up some sunshine or popping by a friend’s desk for a quick check-in.
- Eat Well: Our office can often have way too many snack options provided by your employer or made by a co-worker. Try to resist scooping up a handful of jellybeans when walking by the break room. Instead, bring your snacks from home, like hummus, veggies, nuts, or even something fun like overnight oats.
- Get Outside: Whether you work at home or in the office, we all need fresh air. On your lunch break, go outside and walk around the block, or simply sit on a bench and take some deep breaths to ground yourself. Pro tip: do not look at your phone during the break. Be present with the outside world.
- No Office Drama: While it may seem fun to know who is doing what, how is that serving you? Stay in your lane, and don’t get involved. It will make work less stressful and dramatic.
- Talk it Out: Speaking to someone about issues at work and in your personal life can be a huge help and help you be more productive. A life coach can be just the person you need so as not to lean too hard on office workers or friends and family for a non-biased ear.
