A study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2014-15 revealed 4 million Australians reported having a mental or behavioural condition with anxiety related conditions being the most frequently reported.

Women reported to have higher mental and behavioural conditions at 19.2% compared to men at 15.8%. Stats like this tell me, people living with anxiety aren’t alone and there’s much work to be done in reducing the stigma attached to mental health conditions.  

I’ve been delivering talks all month in workplaces for mental health awareness. It’s inspired me to get a little vulnerable and share my experience, here’s the essence of it:

Anxiety can be crippling, many people who live with it don’t talk about it for fear of stigma and see it as a failing. I believe the real failing isn’t in having a mental health condition, it’s in our lack of understanding, how we deal with it as a society and the stigma attached.

I’ve lived with anxiety for most of my life, as a child I didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t something we knew much about back then, let alone talk about. I’d have an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’d done something really bad. As a teenager I’d get terrible headaches, wasn’t able to concentrate and acted out, A LOT.

In 2004 when I was going through an ugly divorce my anxiety levels hit their peak and panic attacks began to take over, I was unable to work at the high levels my business demanded of me and it was affecting my relationships. A brief admission to hospital confirmed it was time to do something about it.

Back then I didn’t have a name for what I was doing I just started doing things to get me out of the hole I was in and back to a functioning level. I’ve since titled it “My Wellness Toolbox.” I’ve been anxiety free for over a decade and carry my toolbox with me wherever I go.

Here’s my top 10 toolbox tools that helped me beat anxiety. It’s important to understand I didn’t do all of them at once. It was a gradual process with a willingness to explore different things. I recommend starting with one or two things you feel are achievable and build from there.

Talk to people & seek help

Talking about how you’re feeling and trusting in others can be a huge help. For me it was a combination of talking to family and friends and seeking professional help with a psychologist. What I found most helpful was the unravelling of my thoughts and emotions, in the beginning everything was like a tangled ball of wool. During my sessions I was able to pull the threads apart and create a sense of order.

EatWELL, SleepWELL, MoveWELL

Deep down we all know what’s best for ourselves but when our mind is spiralling out of control, we make poor choices. When I was at my worst I was drinking heavily, eating poorly, staying up late and going through cycles of punishing myself with rigorous workouts then feeling totally depleted. I knew I needed to make changes. This included cutting out alcohol and replacing it with water, going to yoga in the evenings, preparing healthy meals and getting quality sleep. In the mornings I’d go for long walks in nature.

Find a routine you love, plan your meals in advance to avoid quick fixes and make sure you get 6 – 8 hours of quality sleep at night.

Set firm boundaries

Setting boundaries can be awkward and confronting. There was a time when I’d say yes to things I didn’t want to. This ranged from taking on commitments in my business when I’d scheduled time off, to going to events and doing things I had no interest in. I created the mantra “it’s ok to say no.” Once I became comfortable in saying no it created space for doing things I wanted to do and for much needed time out. Over time I started to feel in control of life rather than life’s events controlling me.

Forgive yourself & become your own best friend

Now this was hard, really hard. I had mothers’ guilt, business guilt, wife guilt, daughter guilt you name it guilt. How I spoke to myself was awful, I’d berate myself from the time I woke up to the time I’d crash and burn at night. I read many books that helped me to forgive myself and began reframing my inner dialogue until it became nurturing and encouraging. A fantastic book to help with this is Taming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson.

Listen to your body

Learning to tune into your body is an ongoing practice, so often we push when our body needs rest. Other times we numb out in front of screens when our bodies need to move. By tuning into what your body needs and doing what is best for you, you’re able to function at a higher level. I used to think a good day’s work wasn’t done until I was completely spent. Today I believe it’s a behaviour to be avoided at all costs. Life is like an ultra-marathon to travel the distance it’s important to go at a steady consistent pace.

Spend time in nature

Nature soothes the soul and has significant health benefits. It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, reduces heart rate, blood pressure and stress. Even if you live in a high-density area you have access to nature. Look up to the sky, find a park, aim for once a week to get into nature with no devices and just be amongst it.

Journal

Journaling was something that surprised me in how beneficial it was. I was never great at sitting down to write growing up. At first my journal entries were just bullet points of events or highlights in my day. Over time they became a great source of downloading and processing things. I’d have many ah ha moments while writing and was able to make sense of things that I was having difficulty in understanding. This progressed into writing things I was grateful for at the end of my entries – this was a game changer.

Gratitude

Humans are biologically predisposed to negative thinking this is aptly named “negativity bias” research has demonstrated that it’s something we’ve developed to help us avoid danger. While this was extremely useful in prehistoric times in our modern world it’s become a hinderance and a great source of unhappiness.

The great news is we can strengthen our neurological pathways to focus on the positive instead of the negative. By spending a few moments at the end of everyday thinking about what I was grateful helped me in so many ways. To begin try thinking of 1 – 3 things you’re grateful for. 

Meditate

I had an “on again, off again” relationship with meditation for more than a decade before I implemented it as a daily practice. One day I attended a yoga class and as I lay back to meditate thoughts came flying into my mind. The instructor gently cued for us to imagine thoughts drifting down the river. As I watched each thought drift away, I surrendered into the most blissful meditation. My chaos became calm and I left feeling a new sense of peace. There are many forms of meditation and it’s important to find one that works for you with the knowledge that mediation is like anything else – some days its great and others not so much.

Spend quality time with those you love

It’s easy to disconnect from family and friends when anxiety is running high but it’s when we need support the most. I found talking about how I felt and letting people know how they could support me was really helpful. It helped them to understand where I was at and as uncomfortable as it was it allowed me to work through what I needed.

Remember:

Self-care isn’t selfish it’s an act of love for yourself and those around you.

Download a copy of My Wellness Toolbox here

I deliver a range of workplace wellness programs to help the people in your organisation live and lead happier, healthier more productive lives. If you’d like to have me speak or present at your workplace, please get in touch.

A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 45% of people aged 16 – 85 will experience a mental health condition. It’s estimated that untreated mental health conditions cost Australian workplaces approximately $10.9 billion each year.
This is comprised of:
$4.7 billion in absenteeism
$6.1 billion in presenteeism
$146 million in compensation claims.

There are some other findings that are alarming as well:

1 in 5 employees report they have taken time off work due to feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or mentally unwell. This statistic is more than double among those who consider their workplace mentally unhealthy.

81% of organisational leaders indicate their workplace have policies, procedures and practices to support mental health but many employees don’t know that these exist.

Only 56% believe their senior leader values mental health.

With this week being Mental Health Week and Thursday 10th October being World Mental Health Day it’s the perfect time for leaders to show their people that mental health is a priority.

In this article I’ll be sharing information on workplace stress, symptoms of workplace stress and how you can avoid it.

What is workplace stress?

In small doses stress is a normal part of our day and a healthy response to our work as it helps us stay alert, productive and perform at our best. But when it becomes ongoing and in high doses it becomes harmful to our mental health.

Unhealthy workplace stress is physical and emotional responses that can happen when there’s a conflict between job demands and the amount of control a person has in meeting these demands.

Signs and symptoms of workplace stress

How a person experiences stress varies from person to person, they can be physical, psychological and behavioral.

Physical symptoms include:

Headaches

Frequent illness

Muscular tension

Increased heart rate

Changes in appetite

Digestive issues such as: Diarrhoea, constipation and stomach cramps

Decreased energy and or insomnia

Psychological symptoms include:

Irritability

Mood swings

Anxiety

Depression

Feelings of overwhelm and inability to cope

Reduced ability to make decisions and poor judgement

Working longer hours but not able to achieve the same amount of output

Behavioural symptoms include:

Reduced productivity performance

Apathy

Interpersonal relationship problems

Increased absenteeism

Reduced tolerance for others

Aggression

Loss of interest in work and things that usually brings enjoyment

Prolonged and unchecked stress can lead to burnout, depression, anxiety and personality disorders

The impact of workplace stress

Unhealthy workplace stress has major consequences for organisations and their people.  Performance drops, illness and absenteeism increase, there are higher rates of turn over which creates disruption throughout the organisation and working capacity can be significantly reduced. It’s vital that leader’s role-model healthy behaviours and work together in breaking down the stigma of mental health by having open conversations and creating a safe space for their people to feel heard, understood and not judged.

Some factors that contribute to workplace stress

Poor workplace culture

Lack of clarity

Micromanaging

Lack of autonomy

Changing deadlines and role responsibilities

Lack of security

Poor leadership

Interpersonal relationships

Long hours

Work environment

Workplace role and demands

Changes in management

Insecurity in position

Harassment

Discrimination

Crisis incidents

4 Ways you can reduce workplace stress

While some things may be well outside our control category there are many things that we can control, to reduce the impact of workplace stress. Here’s four things you may like to try.

Form positive working relationships

In a recent study conducted by Dr Lindsay McMillan concluded that 1 in 5 workers have experienced major problems in communication with a co-worker or boss at work. We’re naturally social creatures who crave healthy interactions and friendships with the people around us. It makes good business sense to forge healthy relationships in our workplaces to help us be happier, healthier and more productive.

Do, Delete, Delegate

Do the high priority and dollar producing jobs first

Delete the emails and activities that aren’t getting the results you want

Delegate the tasks you can get someone else to do. This frees your time up and helps boost the morale of your organisation by showing your team you trust they are capable, this in turn helps your people become more engaged and builds their confidence.

Unplug & spend time in nature

Allow one day a week unplugged from your devices. Enjoy quality time with your friends and loved ones away from the distractions of devices.

There is strong scientific evidence that indicate spending time in nature offers us a range of health benefits including; reduced risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and increases sleep duration.

Take regular circuit breaks during the day to reset and refocus by getting outside. Even if you’re in a city, get outside look up to the sky, sit quietly under a tree, feel the wind in your face. You’ll feel the difference almost immediately.

Breathe

When we feel stressed our breathing rate and heart rate increases in preparation for fight or flight. The good news is that we can interrupt this response by practicing breathing techniques. You may like to try this breathing meditation.

If you’d like to have a chat on ways I can help reduce stress in your workplace, please get in touch.