Mental Health & Well-being: Finding Balance at Work

1. Mentalhealth & well-being& work-life balancefor DITFaye ConwayJanuary 2019

2. Today’s workshop Overview

3. Overview

4. But first…

5. Today’s workshop • Your hopes & expectations for today?

6. Mental health & well-being

7. Personal well-being??

8. Our mental health How is your physical health? How is your mental health??

9. Health Continuum (healthy to unwell) • We all have mental health • Our mental health may be located at any point along the mental health–illness continuum • The majority of mental health difficulties (stress, anxiety, depression) fall into the mild-moderate category.

10. Mental Health Continuum HEALTHY MILD TO MODERATE DISTRESS ILLNESS

11. Mental well-being • Refers to how we are feeling within ourselves and experiencing our lives. • Our mental health influences: • how we think, feel, and act. • how we see ourselves, our lives and others in our lives. • our interactions with others • our ability to cope with everyday stresses, to work productively, our decision making. • our ability to realise our potential & abilities.

12. Some statistics…. • 1in 4 people experience a mental health difficulty • Half of us will have a family member who has depression at one point in their lives. • According to the WHO; • Stress is ‘the health epidemic of the 21st century,’ and the driver of many chronic diseases. • Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide

13. Mental health problems • Common mental health problems: • Stress • Anxiety, OCD • Panic attacks • Depression • Eating disorders • Self harm • Suicidal thoughts

14. Depression – the blues or something more? • Some common symptoms • Depressed mood most of the day (feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness), tearful. • Diminished interest in almost all activities • Loss of energy and vitality, tired and fatigued with no physical cause • Sleep disturbance / insomnia / unrestful sleep • Changes in appetite • Difficulty concentrating, indecisive, slowed thinking • Low self-worth, guilt • Suicidal thoughts • Symptoms causing significant distress/ impairment • Present for 2 weeks or more

15. Anxiety disorders • Anxiety becomes a disorder when symptoms become chronic & interfere with our ability to function and our daily lives • Generalised anxiety disorder • (chronic and exaggerated worry & tension, even though nothing seems to provoke it) • Panic disorder • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) • Phobias • Social phobias • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

16. Stress

17. Stress • Experienced when we perceive that demands made on us exceed our resources • Threatvs challenge • Different for us all • Stress tolerance

18. Pressure or stressed out?

19. Signs of stress • Different for us all • How do I know when I am stressed? • Physical (How do I feel it in my body?) • Emotions (What emotions do I feel?) • Behavioural (What do I do?) • Thoughts (What do I tell myself?) • Creating an ‘early warning’ system

20. Key ways to managing stress • External: identify and manage the external stressors: • What are they? In what way can they be reduced? • Personal: take steps to look after our mental health • Identifying helpful coping mechanisms and behaviours.

21. Work-life balance

22. Balance • What do mean by ‘out of balance’? • How do we feel? • No one size fits all….

23. Balance – wheel of life

24. How boost personal well-being

25. Life’s up’s and down’s

26. Power of our thoughts

27. Power of our thoughts

28. Power of our thoughts

29. Unhelpful thinking styles • Examples of unhelpful self-talk: • Over-generalising • Disqualifying the positive • Catastrophising • Should/ Must • Personalising • Labelling

30. Power of our thoughts • Call to mind recent worry / setback….. • What did you tell yourself about this situation? • Can you identify any of the unhelpful thinking styles? • How did you feel?

31. Combating negative thinking – how? • Key is to catch negative thinking patterns and dispute them. • Ask yourself: is what I am telling myself true / helpful / logical? • What is the evidence for that belief ? • Am I being overly harsh on myself ? • Would my peers/ friends/ family agree with it ? • Replace: the unhelpful thought with a more helpful one…

32. Replace the unhelpful self-talk • More rational thought / positive affirmation • I’ve always coped before. I am adaptable and well-resourced. I am good enough, there is more to me than this, I am well trained for my role, I have the experience, tools and resources to cope, I am well respected by my peers/managers, I can do this!.......

33. Replace the unhelpful self-talk • Words of advice/ support would your best friend offer you about this situation? • Words of advice of support would your older self offer you?

34. Remember..... • Our thoughts are not facts…. “Our thoughts are like rumours in the mind. They might be true, but then again, they might not be” (Prof Williams & Dr Penman- Mindfulness)

35. Watch out for perfectionism • Perfectionists are driven to get everything right in a world in which that is almost impossible to achieve • Practice self-compassion • Be a friend to the person you are today • ‘This doesn’t define me’ • ‘I am enough’ • ‘There is more to me than this’

36. Recognise our common humanity • You are not alone in how you are feeling • Self-criticism isolates • “Why am I the only one who is finding this hard, struggling, not coping, feeling like a fraud, leaving things to the last minute....?” • Drop the concept that we are in some way different.....

37. Keep things in perspective... • Think of a typical stressful event..... • Traffic, deadline, someone being rude, losing work on computer, partner on phone, someone not doing something they promised, house left untidy.... • Ask yourself.... • On a scale of 0-10 how awful was it? • How will I feel about this in a week, month, year? • How big a deal is this really in terms of bigger picture of my life? • Is this truly impt or a ‘side’ issue • Can I learn anything from this?

38. Focus on what you can control • When we put our efforts where it can have the most impact we feel empowered & confident... • When worry about the uncontrollable – lost, helpless, frustrated, angry & powerless...

39. When the going gets tough.... • Where is my focus? • Unhelpful thoughts? (I don’t want to be doing this, this is too challenging, blaming circumstances........) • Re-focus • What are the long-term benefits of persevering • Why is this meaningful?

40. What else?

41. Weekly well-being check-up • Where’s my mental health today? (0-10) • Am I drinking enough water? • Am I eating a balanced diet? • Exercise? • Take time to rest? • How’s my sleep? Did I feel rested when I woke up? • What is one thing I can do to this week to help my well-being?

42. Re-balance • Do more of what makes you happy • What are the things you enjoy doing? • (e.g; cycling, catching up with friends, reading, taking leisurely bath, cinema, watching favourite programme, hiking, gardening, socialising, time spent with children……..) • Can you find time this week to do one / two?

43. Take a break & re-charge • Take a break during your working day • Be mindful of how you use your ‘downtime’ • ‘No problem–solving’ breaks • Find 5 minutes ‘Quiet Time’ • When at home – unplug & switch off • Digital detox? • How? • Disable alerts/ notifications • No device zone • No device ‘time’

44. Prioritise & plan • Begin by mapping out the week ahead • What do you want to achieve this week? (personal & professional goals) • Categorise ‘To-Do’ list …… • Schedule based on importance & urgency The Eisenhower Matrix

45. Give yourself permission • To say ‘no’ – we don’t need to meet every request life throw us • To stop trying to do it all / set boundaries • To voice your needs & wants confidently • To ask for support

46. Remind yourself of your strengths • Identify your signature strengths • Think back to a recent setback/challenge that you overcame: • What strengths did you draw on during that time? • In what way did your strengths help you? • When was the last time you felt proud of yourself? ...why?

47. Practice gratitude Gratitude is the happiness holy grail • How cultivate gratitude? • Gratitude jar / Gratitude journal / team gratitude board/ ‘thank-you’ letter or text Exercise: (choose one to reflect on) • What are three positive experiences you have had this week? • Think of three things that you have done this week that have had a positive influence on someone else • What are three things you are grateful for?

48. Celebrate success! Goal orientated culture: ‘I’ll be happy when.......’ Exercise: • Instead of waiting until you reach the ‘goal’ ask yourself; • What am I proud of today? • What successes have I had today?

49. Lean into your relationships • Stay connected • Surround yourself with positive support networks • Recognise, ‘its ok to not be ok’ • Tell someone how you are feeling • ps: (chances are they have guessed you’re not feeling yourself!).

50. Create headspace with mindfulness