Mental health: 3 tips for mental strength in the home office

Mental illnesses are on the rise – and not just since Corona. Some companies are taking action against this.
Photo: Mangostar – shutterstock.com

Digital working has been changing our everyday working lives for a long time, and not just since Corona. We are “always on” and have to deal with a significantly higher workload. With additional childcare, homeschooling or other restrictions due to more or less lockdown, our everyday (working) life requires a completely different level of flexibility and organization from us. Some companies such as SAP and Linkedin have recognized this special burden and recently gave their employees a “Mental Health Day” – an additional free paid vacation day.

Mental illnesses such as burnout have become a global problem. In an international survey conducted by the Harvard Business Review on the impact of the pandemic on everyday working life, 89 percent of respondents said that their working life had worsened. A total of 85 percent described a decrease in their well-being.

The specter of occupational disability

We are also seeing a steady increase in Germany. This is particularly evident in the annual surveys of the Federal Statistical Office or the insurance companies on the subject of occupational disability. One in three people now becomes occupationally disabled due to depression, burnout or other psychological causes.

At around 30 percent, mental illnesses have been the most common reason for occupational disability for almost ten years now – ahead of diseases of the musculoskeletal system (around 21 percent), cancer or other malignant tumors (17 percent), accidents at work (just under eight percent) and cardiovascular diseases (seven percent).

8 sure ways to burnout

No private life
Those who don’t have a life outside of the office place excessive importance on their job.

Always reachable
Read emails while on vacation? If you want to relax, put your job out of your mind for two weeks. Does your boss want to be able to reach you? Give him your wife’s cell phone number (“In case of emergency”). He won’t call…

Not sleep
Healthy sleep is the key to well-being, balance and good work. If you can’t get enough rest for more than a week in a row, you should get help.

Chaka, chaka!
Since the last motivational seminar, you are more convinced than ever that you can ALWAYS achieve ANYTHING. You are on the right path. Towards burnout.

Never want to appear stressed
Sure, losing your temper isn’t good, but it’s definitely healthier than trying to appear relaxed all the time even though you can’t sleep well at night.

Too little movement
Don’t make a resolution to go jogging three times a week. Don’t make a resolution at all, and instead just do it every now and then.

Ignoring the problems for a long time
We all want to be productive. If we are no longer able to do this, we usually describe it as a temporary problem that will go away on its own. It won’t.

Always say yes
“Müller, you’re sure you can squeeze in the presentation for customer xy by Friday?” When you hear such announcements, just try a simple no. By the third time at the latest, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is.

Another difficulty is that, according to a recent survey by the Association of Psychological Psychotherapists, those affected have to wait an average of six months for a therapy placement. This means that long periods of absence from work are inevitable.

What can companies do?

The fact that companies recognize the need for mental health is an important first step. But much more is needed – namely sustainable concepts. Mental health must become an established pillar in the corporate context. One day alone is not enough to reduce prejudices and stigmatization of stress and overload in the workplace or in everyday (working) life. The prevention of mental illnesses and stress factors in everyday (working) life must become a standard in corporate culture.

Companies must also encourage and support the personal responsibility of each individual employee. How can employees find out for themselves how they are doing? A simple exercise can help to take an initial stocktaking:

How do you know when you’re at your limit?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you often feel exhausted and think: “I really can’t do this anymore?”
Are you trying to please everyone and in the process falling short yourself?
Is your body sending you stress signals, but your recovery phases are no longer sufficient?

If you can answer all of the questions with “yes,” you should look at your mental health. Allow yourself to look at your individual stress factors. Where and when do you reach your limits? How can you improve your mental health and do something good for yourself?

It doesn’t always have to be “big” things. It’s enough to use the little things in your everyday (working) life for your own benefit.

Protection against burnout: 5 exercises for bosses

1. Do NOTHING for five minutes
Just do NOTHING for five minutes. If you can’t do this because your thoughts or phone won’t calm down, you can try… (see the following picture)

2. Appreciative thoughts
… try to think of five appreciative thoughts about yourself or your employees. Write down spontaneously what did you good today, what you look at with satisfaction or what you enjoy about an employee.

3. Five breaths into the belly
Or breathe calmly and relaxed for five deep breaths into your stomach and with each breath relax your thoughts, muscle groups and your perspective on things even more.

4. Mindfulness to the power of five
The mindfulness five: What five beautiful and fulfilling moments come to mind for today? 5 beats of inhalation, 5 beats of pause, 5 beats of exhalation, 5 beats of pause. Which needs were fulfilled today? Which were not?

5. Leisure time is a must
A look at your calendar shows: Do you have at least five hours of leisure time per week? Sacred time in which you can do what is important to you and what fulfills you?

3 tips for mental strength in the home office

Take conscious breaks. Even if shared social events on the screen strengthen the sense of belonging in the workplace and the team spirit. Treat yourself to a cup of coffee or tea away from your home office every now and then. Leave the screen for just five to ten minutes. Take your cup of coffee and enjoy it with the window open, on the balcony or maybe even in the garden.

Move! Get up! Maybe don’t put your water bottle right next to you at your workstation, but use remote storage as an opportunity to get moving, change position, and consciously make your way “away from the computer.”

Prioritize your tasksNot everything is equally important. Take time every morning – or at the end of a working day in preparation for the next day – to write down your upcoming tasks, prioritize them and think about how much time you will need for them. Plan time buffers, because something unexpected can always come up. If possible, hand over unnecessary tasks. Delegate!