8 tips for reaching the end of the year with your sanity intact!

Habits to support your mental health at work

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself feeling flat and tired come October. Perhaps it’s because you can (almost) see yourself relaxing on the beach over the holidays, but also, why so premature? That is still 3 months away (!!!) and there is a big push to get things done before the year wraps up. Feeling the pressure yourself? Then this 3-minute read might just set you up to ease into the festive season just a little more relaxed.

Well, whatever the reason, it had been a big few weeks over here at Streamline HR and I was in need of a slower week to get stuck into some planning and reflection. Well, lucky for me, the universe delivered just when I needed it. My “slow” week aligned perfectly with Mental Health Week here in Australia, so I strapped in to watch 4 webinars on the topic put on by the Growth Faculty.

It was exactly what I needed to get me out of my slump and put some positive practices back in my day and take me through to the end of the year with style (read sanity). Lucky I did, as that “slow” period was gone frighteningly quickly! For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to have that time available, I am here to share my key takeaways from the week with you!

1. Focus on priority management, not to be confused with time management! According to Dr Robyne Hanley-Dafoe our brain can only handle 3-7 priorities at a time. Rather than having an endless list of tasks, focus on your top 3, and then have 4 in the sidelines ready to step in.

2. Set some goals. Why not give yourself a little extra motivation by setting some goals from now until the end of the year? Keith Roberts says to keep it to a maximum of 3 and make sure they are no longer than 90 days. Perhaps even write them down on paper (it increases the odds of you achieving them by 200%)!

3. Write an angry letter (yep!). While we’re on the subject, according to Keith Roberts our emotion is transferred when we put pen to paper. So, if you’re feeling a little peeved at someone, rather than firing off a reactive email or (worse still) holding onto that anger, write them a letter (BUT please don’t send it!). You will notice that over a day or two your anger will turn to empathy. THEN, you may put it in an email and press send.

4. Delegate - don’t wait. “Burnout is the curse of the strong” according to Dr Robyne. So, if your motto is “I’ll do it myself” (guilty!) it might be time to seek support from others. You want things to feel important, not urgent.

5. Give inbox 0 a go! This has been a non-negotiable for me for years. I never finish a day without filing all my emails away and putting any actions on my to do list. When you use your inbox as a task list you end up reading emails way more than once which is not a great use of time, and makes you feel busier than you actually are.

6. Try an end of workday routine. In the new world of work, one of the hardest things is successfully transitioning from work to home. One way to support that transition is to find an activity that you can do consistently to tell your brain work is over for the day. Mine is heading out for a quick walk – yours might be playing some music or even just changing your clothes. Give it a try – your family will thank you!

7. Get some sleep! This was a key theme that came from all 4 speakers so it would be remiss of me not to include it. If you improve your sleep everything will be better, they said! So rather than “numbing” your brain by scrolling your phone try reading, meditation, or even something creative before heading to bed.

8. Go for a walk. Steady state cardio helps our nervous system calm down when we’re stressed. So, next time you can feel that eustress turning into distress – STOP – and for the benefit of everyone, take a walk.

Putting ourselves aside for a moment, you may be wondering how you can help your team if you notice that they are showing some signs of fatigue or burnout as the end of the year approaches.

In addition to sending them this article (of course) considering practicing empathic attunement – when your team member comes to you to vent or seems disproportionately stressed, simply ask them “do you need comfort or solutions right now?”. Often, it’s the former which simply requires your presence and attention. Remember, the simple act of connection helps us help others (thank you Dr Robyne). You do not need to solve everyone else’s problems – you have enough of your own, I am sure!

Alicia Jimmieson

Senior Consultant and Client Experience Manager