Employer Actions To Treat Mental Illness

An extensive study shows that just eight hours a week is enough for the average worker to generate significant mental health and well-being benefits.

Working between one to eight hours per week resulted in decreased risk of mental health issues, especially among people recently unemployed.

Working has some intangible benefits, called psychological vitamins, like social contact, structured routine, shared goals, enforced activity, variety and a sense of identity. Spending more time at work does not lead to an increase in the benefits.

Many consultants have headaches and nausea when they deal with stress and emotion. There are also times when there is nothing they can do, for example, provide beds, masks, and other needed supplies.

A psychological consultant advises that you should be aware of yourself, and distinguish which emotions are yours, which are the patients, and which are your empathy.

Consider unexpected risks associated with the response to the outbreak, for example, poor mental health that is related to social isolation. Steps to take into account:

• Staying connected with your social and family networks via technology
• Keeping your daily routines as much as possible
• Exercising regularly and practicing habits that you enjoy and find relaxing
• Seeking practical, credible information at specific times of the day.

Our cells generate energy through oxidation, but oxidation also reduces the dopamine and serotonin in the brain and creates oxidative stress.

Antioxidants found in brightly colored foods like fruits and vegetables act as a defense against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain and body. Antioxidants also repair oxidative damage and scavenge free radicals that cause cell damage in the brain. 

Omega 3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are involved in the process of converting food into energy. They are important for the health of the brain and the communication of its feel-good chemicals dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Omega 3 are essential nutrients that are not readily produced by the body, so we must include foods high on it in our diet. 

The one terrifying aspect of how the space we live affects our health is that many of the bad effects aren't even fully known to us, like mood swings, neuron damage, chemical imbalance and many brain-altering effects, that are yet to be fully studied.

When you recognize your external triggers, you can figure out what changes you can make to manage them.

• If having too many Zoom meetings is draining your energy, see if you can make your meetings shorter, or assess when and where you presence is not critically needed.
• If you’re stretched too thin and have the power to do so, you can think about delegating, or ask your boss what you should prioritize and what you can complete later.

Sometimes eliminating external stressors just isn't enough. When you find yourself in a prolonged state of stress, it’s time to get the help of a professional.

Chronic stress can have a negative impact on your quality of life and can also make physical health issues worse.

• Develop an equal opportunity policy.

• Be transparent about hiring criteria.

• Improve retention of minority workers.

• Analyze problems and adapt. Train managers to spot their biases and avoid communicating in ways that unconsciously deter minority candidates.

• Implement workplace flexibility.

Pessimism, or having a bias towards a negative outcome, has a fan base too, as it seems that pessimists are immune to disappointment.

Their view of life already considers the worst possible outcome as the default one, and anything better than that can only improve it.

Losing something we already have is twice as much pain than gaining the same. This skewed feelings towards loss is known as loss aversion.

Expectations always dampen the feelings of happiness, always setting us up in advance for a dose of disappointment.

Using a Bullet Journal as a productivity tracker helps you see what all you have done and what is being neglected. It tells you if what you are doing is healing to you or is counterproductive.

Manually making a mental health tracker, and filling it daily to check your anxiety, depression, sleep, energy levels or even pain can tell you if there are any trends in the symptoms.

Daily tracking of progress and improvements, noting down one or more successful activities, or any small thing done right every day, can boost your mental health. The idea is not to condemn yourself but to motivate you towards positive progress.

• Angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even with unimportant matters.
• Loss of interest or happiness in activities such as sex or hobbies.
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and sleeping too much.
• Tiredness and lack of energy for even the smallest activities.
• Increased cravings for food.
• Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness.
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
• Avoiding people.

...while working from home:

• Create a schedule and stick to it. Scheduling your tasks (and breaks) will help you to mentally prepare for the day.
• Have a dedicated comfortable workspace, with a door that closes, preferably.
• Fight the urge to stay sedentary and schedule active time to get your heart pumping.
• Foster social connections (on the phone or via the internet, if physical contact is not possible).
• Learn to say no. Know your limitations, set boundaries based on your schedule and workload, and don’t extend yourself beyond them.