Mental Health at Work: 10 Actionable Tips
I originally wrote this piece for World Mental Health Day back in 2024. That year, the theme was ‘Mental Health at Work’. While that specific day has passed, I think we’re all coming round to the understanding that our mental health is the absolute foundation of our wellbeing, influencing how we think, feel, and act - and that keeping ourselves mentally healthy is essential for a balanced and fulfilling life, both at work and beyond.
In 2010 I was an aid worker, sharing my time between Darfur and South Sudan - I was also out of control, a stranger to myself and close to complete burnout. Despite a successful career, a toxic work situation had systematically stripped away my confidence and left my mental health in tatters. Combined with my soul-deep desire to serve, my difficulty saying ‘no’ to anything, and a tendency to people-please, a perfect (shit)storm had formed.
This story is all too common in aid work - and in the healthcare sector, teaching, social work, the emergency services, charities… Things have been improving, but our organisations still have a long way to go. There are far bigger, systemic shifts that need to happen - from better working conditions to wider societal support for parents and carers - and it’s important to acknowledge that the weight of this shouldn’t sit on your shoulders alone.
But while we wait for those structural changes, what can we do for ourselves? How can we take control of what’s within our reach right now to improve both our own mental health at work, and the mental health of our colleagues?
It took a lot for me to pull back from burnout - a change of job (sometimes with toxic situations, that’s the only way to go), big adjustments to how I lived my life and a lot of serious work on my people-pleasing (and other!) tendencies.
But there are also smaller, daily actions we can take. Here are ten practical ideas for you:
For You
1. Set Boundaries Around Breaks Take regular, intentional breaks - even just 5 minutes of stretching, walking, or breathing can reduce stress and reset focus. Is that hurried sandwich at your desk really saving you time, or would you be more effective after a rest? Research varies, but it’s generally agreed upon that we can only focus for 60 - 90 minutes at a time. Have a look at your calendar with that in mind…
2. Timeblock for Focused Work Speaking of calendars - schedule uninterrupted time to work on tasks that require deep focus. This lowers the pressure of multitasking and reduces feelings of overwhelm. I’ve written a four-part guide to time blocking which starts here if you want to dive into the "how-to," or if you’d like me to walk you through it practically, you can join my pre-recorded Time Blocking Workshop that walks you through how to build a system that works for you.
3. Practice Breathing Techniques The wonderful thing about the breath is that you’ve always got it with you! In moments of stress, your breath can bring you back into your body, and back into the present moment. Box breathing is a classic - and I’ve created a free box breathing graphic here that you can keep on your desk or phone.
4. Create a Calming Workspace Personalize your workspace - add a plant, photo, or a calming object that helps you feel grounded during busy moments. If you find your mind in a twirl, take a moment to focus on your object and take some deep breaths.
5. Check in with Yourself Create a daily or weekly ritual of checking in with how you’re feeling emotionally. You could journal, or simply take a mindful pause to help you stay aware of your mental state. Do it without judgement - there’s power in knowing and accepting your emotional state.
For Your Colleagues
6. Normalize Mental Health Conversations ’Hey, how are you today?’ ‘I’m fine, you?’ ‘Yep, good thanks’. Thus goes the average workplace greeting (at least in the UK). Next time you find yourself in one of these exchanges, listen beneath the words. Go a bit deeper and invite your colleague to open up. ‘Just fine?’ ‘Ooh, you said ‘good’ but your tone says something else - are you ok?’ ‘How are you really doing?’. Open up about how you’re feeling, too. This helps normalize discussions around mental health at work.
7. Mental Health Micro-Actions Small gestures like asking about a colleague’s weekend, remembering something they’ve told you about before and asking about it, offering to help with a task or simply acknowledging someone's efforts can create a more supportive work environment.
8. Peer Support Networks Could you suggest or create a buddy system at work, where colleagues check in with each other on workload and wellbeing? If ‘management’ won’t help, screw them and set it up yourself. You don’t need their permission to improve everyone’s mental health at work :)
9. Contribute to Safe Spaces Consider in what ways you’re helping to create spaces where colleagues can voice mental health concerns without fear of stigma - and in what ways you might be hindering them.
10. Share Resources Make sure you know about any workplace mental health resources available to you, whether it's an Employee Assistance Program or a wellbeing initiative - and make sure your colleagues know about them too. If you’ve found something helpful, share your experience and encourage others to use it too. (And if you’re looking for more structured support for your team, I work with organisations to deliver breathwork, workshops, coaching and bespoke wellbeing programmes. You can find out more about my work with organisations here.)
What’s one small action you’re going to take this week to boost your mental health at work, or the mental health of a colleague? Let me know, you know I love to hear from you :)
If you’d like more reflections like this, I share them in my weekly e-letter - little love letters with stories, questions to sit with, and gentle reminders to step off the hamster wheel. You can join below 👇.
