As Mental Health Awareness Month continues, cultivating and caring for our mental health is in the forefront of many people’s minds. And one key area that informs mental health is work. More and more employees place value on work-life balance, with 72% of job seekers considering it as a factor when applying for jobs. Additionally, company culture is another crucial component, as 56% of people considered it more important than even salary.
People place a high value on their mental health in the workplace, and with good reason! Mental health impacts every area of our wellbeing, and affects how we think and feel about our lives. But the demands of work can make balance difficult to create, and workplace stress easily spreads to other areas of life. In one Pew Research Center analysis of how Americans view their jobs, over 80% of participants found their job to be stressful either some or all of the time. And according to WebMD, this stress can exacerbate existing mental health conditions in those who have them, and increase the risk of developing a condition in those who don’t. Additionally, overwork, job insecurity, and poor work-life balance can all contribute to depression.
As a single parent, you might feel work’s effects on your mental health even more acutely. Carrying financial responsibility for your family and balancing more tasks at home contribute to increased stress.
Thankfully, there are a few key strategies that can help lighten the load of working. These techniques can help you to cultivate your workplace mental health and deal with some of the stress that shows up day-to-day.
These aren’t meant to be a catch-all for every situation, and focus more on personal solutions than systemic ones. The problem may very well be your employer, and they should focus on organizational-level changes for the best chance of improvement. But for you as an individual, consider trying these strategies to make the best of what you can immediately control.
Set Boundaries
As we discussed in our article about setting boundaries, boundaries help you assert what is okay and not okay in your relationships, and advocate for the treatment that you deserve. According to Psychology Today, setting boundaries at work helps people to preserve both physical and emotional energy, and helps to manage stress.
While boundaries are certainly helpful, they can also be complicated. At your job, you don’t necessarily have the freedom to take the time off that you need or the ability to step back from interacting with a difficult coworker. Your needs deserve to be met, but that doesn’t mean that your employer will always recognize them.
To make the process of setting boundaries smoother (and not risk losing your job!) Forbes recommends starting with smaller situations that are less likely to have consequences. Maybe you begin taking your lunch break that you usually skip, or setting a specific time to stop checking work emails.
What you decide is reasonable for your job is up to you, but using these “practice,” low-stakes scenarios can give you an indicator of your employer’s response moving forward. For example: stop replying to emails after 6pm and your team supports your decision? Great! But if your boss blows up when you take a five minute break to eat a snack? It might be time to consider moving jobs, or at least using another strategy. Additionally, by starting small, you can build confidence for the future and have an easier time setting more boundaries later on.
Tackle Burnout
As PhD Health Behavior researcher Emily Nagoski and DMA conductor Amelia Nagoski discuss in their book Burnout, stress itself is not harmful, but getting stuck in stress is. Our brains were built for clear-cut, life-or-death situations like running away from a tiger. Fleeing for your life is certainly stressful, but it also has a definite ending (escaping!) and a clear transition out of the event (talking with others or burying the tiger’s bones).
When you experience workplace stress, though, there is no clear ending. In fact, many work problems are recurring by nature. Some of the most common stressors are threats to job security and finances, or having a role with intense and difficult responsibilities – things that you face every day, and can worry you at any time. There isn’t really an obvious transition away from your stress – just more thoughts and exhaustion that leach into your time at home or stop you from being able to fall asleep at night. And this chronic stress is what harms your physical and mental health.
So what can you do? The Nagoskis recommend closing the stress cycle: practice deep breathing, exercise, give a family member a long hug (20 seconds), or laugh with a friend. Give your body a clear cue that the stress is over, or at least that it has abated for now. Allowing yourself to release the stress doesn’t have to mean that your problems are gone, but just that you are choosing when to handle them.
And even if your time to de-stress after work is limited, a little bit can go a long way. These techniques, for example, can be practiced in five minutes or less, and you can even get your kids in on it too.
Seek Support
According to a BJPsych Bulletin study about workplace stress, the majority of participants found family, friend, and coworker support to be an effective source of stress relief at work. In fact, it was the personal technique participants reported most frequently overall. Work friends are also linked to lower stress and improved emotional support.
So whether you prefer a work buddy or a friend outside of your job, friends are great for your health either way. Creating strong connections can make the work day easier, no matter when you choose to talk with them.
Final Thoughts
Overall, setting boundaries, tackling burnout, and seeking support are all proven ways to reduce stress and support your mental health at work. While it can be difficult to create a good work-life balance or care for your mental health during the stress of work, taking these steps can help release that stress and support your wellbeing.
Join us at our monthly Virtual Community Support Groups for Single Moms! Tap in on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm/CST.
