A Mental Health Check in with a BuyPower Staff
Research has shown that 14.7% of people are likely to experience mental health problems in the workplace.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state where a person can cope with their daily activities, work productively and actively contribute to their community. We see it as a state of complete mental well-being and happiness.
With the recent unrest in parts of the country, we at the BuypowerHQ decided to have a mental health awareness week. During this period we are reaching out to and encouraging members of the team to prioritize their mental health by properly dealing with stress, the impact of COVID-19 amid other arising triggers.
As part of our awareness, we had a check in with our Social Media and Community Manager; Jephtah. In this interview, we discussed the state of his mental health in the workplace, how he deals with stress and how he maintains a proper work-life balance.
Hey Jeph, Nice to have you here today. I have to ask, What’s your productivity level at work?
Hey Simbi. Thanks for having me. Uhmm I’ll say my productivity levels are quite high at work because I love working in a team. Being a creative, I get to work with other people as well. This helps boost my productivity. So if I was to rate it over a hundred, I’ll say well above 75%.
That’s fair enough. So how do you keep your mental health in check while at work?
For me, I isolate. I do this to mostly recharge. During this period, I take a deep breath, listen to lofi music and just meditate. It helps me calm down when I get anxious about a project or emotional during tasks.
Do you ever speak to a colleague about your mental or physical issues?
I actually don’t talk to colleagues about my mental health because I have my own circle of friends I share that with. However during conversations with my work buddies, I get tips on how they keep a balance. For example, I’ve learnt that sometimes, I may not be equipped to finish all my tasks in a day. I’ve also learnt the importance of taking multivitamins and resting.
Can you say you have a work life balance?
Oh yes I do and I think it’s 100% possible to have a work-life balance
And just curious, how do you achieve this?
So you have to know when to turn off and turn on your work mode. Unless you’ll find yourself working nonstop. This brings me back to breaks. Sometimes, you can’t finish everything in a day. And this is something I had to learn because in the past, I liked to do everything at once.
But then I realized that I’d experience a burn out and end up not being productive. I couldn’t give my work 100% because I didn’t even have that to give. So I’ve learned to let go of some things and prioritize my schedule. So far, everything has gone great from there.
What advice do you have for workers like you who want to improve their mental health?
My advice is to always keep your mental health in check. Always have a trusted person to talk to. It could be your friends, your family or a therapist. Also be more intentional about good living and good health. Watch what you eat, what you watch, listen to and the company you keep.
It should be positive vibes only.
And that’s the end of our check in with Jeph. Interested in further improving your mental health? I hope you’ve been able to pick up a few tips from his lifestyle.
Let us know how you maintain a proper work-life balance by using any of the social media icons on this post.
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