mental health in the workplace
Take your 15s
Salaried employees are exempt from most labor laws, but you should take advice from the labor laws that exist for hourly employees. They exist because they were deemed to be the bare minimum requirements for fair treatment at work. Apply them to yourself.
Take a 30-minute uninterrupted break and two 15-minute breaks every day
Even if it isn’t during lunch time, make it happen. Block out your calendar for this. When someone tries to book a meeting over it, simply say you have a conflict at that time. This is standard acceptable corporate language, no need to elaborate what you’re doing with that time.
Leave the office. I would even advocate against using the company break room or company lunch room. Separate yourself from work as much as possible. Go to a park, a bench outside, the lobby. Go to a coffee shop and order a tea $3 and you can sit uninterrupted. Go for a walk.
Leave work at work
Call it a day at 5pm sharp. Stop doing overtime. Stand up for yourself. It’s hard, I get it. But you’re not a surgeon. The world goes on. If your mental health is falling apart because you work 24/7, change jobs.
Don’t check your work email before work or Sunday nights
Unless you’re expecting a snow day, there isn’t a good reason to check your email before your workday starts. If you’re worried about an unexpected early morning meeting, you have to let this worry go. It is the organizer’s responsibility to give sufficient notice for meetings. If you’re late to a meeting or miss a meeting that you didn’t know about until the last minute, ask to reschedule.
Prepare your Monday morning on Friday afternoon
Don’t do this Sunday night.
Use your PTO
Take a vacation. Call in sick. Mental health is medical health.
Use your full benefits
Volunteer time. Your benefits exist to be used. Employee Assistance Programs
Seek Professional Help
Most health insurance covers therapy. Therapists will help you manage your stress. There’s no such thing as “not sick enough for therapy.” They help people who need help, and they also help people who don’t need help. Therapists work with perfectly happy people frequently to practice and perfect life skills, provide general life advice, and give recommendations for an even happier life. Think ahead and prepare for the worst: Check your state’s medical leave laws. Choose a therapist who is licensed to recommend you for medical leave for mental health if it ever comes to that. You can ask them this before you ever even meet them – this is a common question.
Consider Going on Leave
This advice is going to be wildly unpopular. I’m going to reiterate that mental health is medical health. Depression and anxiety from workplace stress can be debilitating. They are literally covered under ADA. Seek professional help if you are experiencing severe anxiety and depression related to your job. A licensed therapist or other medical provider can help you navigate the paperwork for this. Remember, you are legally entitled under federal law to take unpaid leave for severe medical issues, including mental health issues.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do for your mental health is to avoid overexertion. That means setting boundaries and sticking to them. And using all the tools available to you. It’s not slacking; it’s being reasonable.