4 Ways To Ensure That Your Career Improves Your Mental Health



On average, we’ll spend thirty percent of our lives at work or in the office. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your work is not causing issues with your mental health. Here are some steps you can take to avoid this situation. 

Choose A Job That Matters 
If you feel as though your job has no meaning in the world, then it can play havoc with your mental health because your life could feel meaningless too. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in jobs that are referred to as pointless these days and that have little measurable impact on the world. You should avoid these jobs and aim to do something that clearly matters to you or that has an impact on other people. Care home jobs are a great example of this because you’ll be making a real difference in someone’s life every time you head into work. 

Manage Stress Effectively 
You may want to think about how you can manage stress more effectively while you are working. If you get stressed while working, then you’re certainly not alone. Many people find work totally overwhelming. The good news is that there are steps that you can take to manage stress more effectively here. For instance, you might want to think about using breathing exercises here. Breathing exercises are useful because they will regulate the amount of oxygen that your brain receives. Alternatively, you could think about trying something like desk yoga. As the name suggests, this type of exercise is easy to complete in a typical work environment. 

Think About Your Environment 
It’s worth noting that a poor work environment can play havoc with both your physical and mental health. For instance, you might be working in an environment with poor air quality. Research shows that issues like this can cause trouble with concentration and increase levels of stress. Or, you might find that you are struggling with pain in your upper limbs due to poor standards of furniture. This can be the first sign of RSI. If you do develop chronic pain like this, your mental health will be impacted. That’s why you should request ergonomic furniture from your employer. 

Set Goals 
One of the common issues that you can have in your career which will play havoc with your mental health is feeling stuck in a dead end job that is taking you nowhere. If you want to look after your wellbeing, then you should avoid this situation. The best way to do that is by constantly setting goals for yourself in your career and continuously moving forward towards them. If you do this, then you will never feel trapped in your career. Instead, you will also be able to visualise paths to a new challenge or fresh goal which lies ahead. 

Hopefully this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to ensure that you are looking after your mental health while at work and on the job. In doing so, you can also improve your quality of life.