Managing your emotional well-being at work
We are exposed to a myriad of stressors at work, especially now that the pressure of high expectations and workloads have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and working from home. Triggered by stress and uncertainty, we may be caught in a downward spiral and our brain may go into ‘survival mode’ before we realise it. When this happens, our ‘emotional brain’ dominates, and we’re probably emotionally unwell.
What does this mean? We might find it more difficult than usual to manage our mood and emotions as we instinctively protect ourselves emotionally. As a result, we become more narrow-minded and can only perceive things from our own perspective, and thus struggle to empathise with others. In this state, we are prone to ruminating unnecessarily over certain emotions or thought patterns, aggravating that stress. These hinder our growth and productivity; on a personal level, our mental health and interpersonal relationships are likely to suffer. That is why it’s crucial to identify and take steps to regulate our emotions.
In a talk we held last week, Joseph Quek (Counsellor), Erin Lee (Mindfulness Coach), and Ivan Lim (Mental Health Expert by Experience) joined Calm Collective co-founder Sabrina to talk about the importance of managing your emotional well-being at work. Introducing various techniques to mitigate stress at work, here’s a breakdown of the strategies discussed so that you can help your brain shift from ‘survival mode’ to ‘learning mode’ for your overall well-being.
Honesty and empathy are crucial.
If you can reframe your thoughts so that you view things through a lens of empathy and honesty, you will find it easier to accept what others say, rather than seeing it as a source of stress.
Being honest with yourself lies in acknowledging where you can improve. This will help you better understand yourself and get the support you need to cope at work. As for empathy, seeing things from someone else’s perspective can help you to comprehend their intent, rather than getting worked up if their words come across as rude or critical. Calm down, listen to what others are saying, and see if there’s any truth in it.
Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness goes beyond simply being present – it’s about creating a space between the emotion you feel and your response to it. By recognizing that emotions are here for a reason, you can learn that they shouldn’t dictate your decision making, behaviour, or way of life.
Here are the 4 key skills that you can incorporate into your daily life to properly glean the benefits of mindfulness:
Be aware. An awareness of our internal and external state will allow us to construct a stable foundation to practice mindfulness.
Focus. A skill we often lack in such a distracted world, it allows you to calm the body and mind down to see things with greater clarity and objectivity.
Observation. It is challenging to observe what happens within you, one at a time, without reacting to them. However, it helps you to avoid catastrophising things when our emotions morph and exacerbate.
Discernment. Be discerning with thoughts or emotions by asking yourself: Is this helpful for me? Is this wholesome for me? Continue with what is helpful, but pause or intervene at what is detrimental to emotional and mental well-being.
Check in with yourself.
An extension of mindfulness, when you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, a good first step is to identify them individually. When you can name your emotions, you will be able to recognize patterns in your life, particularly if certain emotions recur.
By taking that step back, you switch from ‘survival mode’ to ‘learning mode’: What am I experiencing? What am I feeling now? What is this emotion telling me? What can I learn from my emotions? Is there something that I need to work on?
Normalise seeking help.
Be it a counsellor or psychiatrist, talking to someone about your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical self. This gives you a chance to talk to an objective listener about what you’re experiencing, how you’re feeling, and how you’re doing. Early recognition and intervention for any mental health issues you have will make a massive difference to your recovery process.
Treat mental health checkups like any other health checkups — go annually, or even more often than that if you can! On platforms like mindline.sg, you can communicate with an objective and non-judgmental bot that provides a (virtual) listening ear on several issues before advising you on how best to proceed. This free self-assessment tool allows you to do check-ups whenever you want to determine where your mental health is at, and whether and how you should seek further help.
This talk was held in partnership with mindline.sg, a stress and coping website where you can find a range of resources and a self-assessment tool.