As an HR professional I advocate looking after your mental health and urge organizations to consider and support employees’ mental health. Sometimes we need to take our own advice. For a couple of weeks I have not been my normal self. As a result, I have not being doing the things that promote good mental health such as:
- connecting with friends
- getting outside
- exercising
- eating well
- and so on and so on – you know the list.
This has led to a couple of weeks of poor mental health for me.
What I Learned in My Funk
So rather than focusing on the things that prompt my poor mental heath, I am going to share some of the things I learnt while I was in a funk.
- It is ok to have a crappy day. Crappy days happen – own it and don’t make others pay for it.
- It is ok to have lingering thoughts on would have, should have, could have – as long as you do just one thing to change the future.
- It is ok to go for a walk, find your heart is just not into it, and turn around a go back home.
- It is ok to tell people you are not your usual self and ask them to have extra patience and provide extra support.
- It is ok to swear shout and stomp your feet AS LONG as you are alone.
- It is ok to try new things and fail. You might actually surprise yourself and have the odd success (who would have thought I could make bread).
As HR professionals we talk about mental health in the workplace. I am learning that, as a person, I can also talk about my own mental health. Not only as an academic speaking about a social topic, but as person speaking about a topic that is personal. There are a lot of messages out there about being kind to others – which I fully support. Remember to be kind to your self too. If you just try this, you will be in a much better place to be kind to others.
What’s Next?
And now I will get back to the things I need to do:
- connect with friends
- get outside
- exercise
- eat well
Look After Your Employees Mental Health
If you’re an employer and you want to look after your employee’s mental health, Employee recognition can cheer up your staff. Have a look at Employee Recognition That’s Not Costly.