5 Ways to Improve Mental Wellbeing and Health at Work (Or While Working From Home)

1. Tidy desk space

The first and most important piece of advice is to transform your desk space. It is vital your desk is organised – I personally feel completely erratic and overwhelmed unless I am in a tidy, organised environment, both at work and home. Hang a calendar by your computer, have a set of desk draws by your side and treat yourself to some matching stationary to keep all of your thoughts, notes and lists in order – who doesn’t love stationary shopping?!

2. Set daily targets

Once you have indulged in a shiny new set of stationary, it is time to use it! To-do lists are so helpful if you’re struggling with productivity levels and can also improve your overall mental wellbeing. On Monday mornings, write your weekly to-do list and then allocate the tasks to different days according to priority and urgency. By setting smaller, daily targets, every job seems more manageable and you will become more organised which works wonder on your mental health.

3. Celebrate your small wins

When you tick off those tasks on your to-do lists, don’t forget to celebrate! It could be something as small as finally getting round to filing those letters on your desk or reaching this week’s sales targets. Whatever you have achieved, be kind to yourself like you would to others and give yourself a pat on the back.

4. Spend time in nature

Nature is scientifically proven to make you feel happier and less stressed. If you’re lucky enough to work near some ‘green’ areas or beautiful outdoor spaces, then take advantage of that luxury. Go for a stroll on your lunch break or sit on a bench and lose yourself in the sounds, smells and sights of nature. If you work in a city with little green space, then it’s time to re-decorate your office or your work environment. Talk to your manager about incorporating more plants into the office decoration or if that isn’t feasible, work with your own desk space. Adding a few plants or flowers where you can easily see them is believed to have calming effects on employees. If you’re worried about keeping them alive, fake plants will do the trick! Get creative if you don’t have any green spaces close to you - any access to the natural world will have you feeling more positive and will help improve your mental wellbeing even more.

5. Have something to look forward to every day

Have a milestone that you can look forward to reaching on those tough days, for example every Monday at 3:00pm, when fatigue sets in and the journey to Friday seems endless, have a hot chocolate break (with cream and marshmallows, of course!). Or if you’ve had a bad day at work, head to the shops once you finish and treat yourself to that blouse you’ve been eyeing up. It can even be as simple as having a hot bath with candles, essential oils, and relaxing music when you get home. Anything that creates some kind of goal to reach on the bad days (and even good days) will make them go so much faster. You will no longer dread Mondays when you have a date with your favourite hot chocolate scheduled in.

About Leah Crossman

Leah is a freelance writer specialising in lifestyle journalism with a range of professional editorial, communications and marketing experience. She finds inspiration in food, health and wellness, fashion, travel and sustainability