5 Ways to Focus on Your Mental Health When Starting a New Job
If you’ve just accepted a great job offer: congratulations! Moving up is always an exciting and rewarding position, and you’ve probably worked many long, hard hours to obtain this achievement. You should feel confident and proud of yourself!
Still, starting a new job can also be an extremely stressful experience. You might be feeling pressure to live up to your manager’s expectations, and you might feel anxious trying to make a positive first-impression for your fellow coworkers. You might even put your mental health on the back-burner as you juggle your new tasks and assignments. However, it’s important to remember how to take care of yourself, especially during this stressful period of transition. Here are 5 ways to focus on your mental health when starting a new job.
1. Take breaks throughout the day.
During the first few weeks at your new job, you might find yourself swamped with work. You could even be excited to tackle your responsibilities, which is fantastic! Still, remember to stay mindful of your workload. Try to take short, frequent breaks throughout the day. Stand up and stretch your legs often, if you are sitting at a desk all day. Take a couple of minutes during your lunch break to do some light stretching or meditative breathing. If you’re working from home, find some time throughout the day to step outside and enjoy the fresh air!
2. Get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
It seems like everybody is struggling to get enough sleep at night. In fact, during the first couple of months at your new job, sleep will probably feel like your last priority. However, getting enough sleep not only keeps you from feeling groggy during the day, but it will also improve your memory, decrease your blood pressure, and strengthen your immune system. To ensure you get a proper night’s rest, try to limit alcohol consumption before bed and avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evenings.
3. Incorporate joyful movement throughout your week.
Like sleep, it can be tempting to completely eliminate exercise from your schedule, once things start getting busy. However, contrary to popular belief, regular exercise can actually make you feel more energized, awake, and alert. Studies show that getting your heart rate up can actually release brain chemicals called endorphins, which are responsible for making you feel happy and healthy. When crafting an exercise routine, it’s important to find a movement routine that you’re actually excited to do. If you’re not excited to go to the gym after a long day at work, chances are that you’ll never end up going! Try finding a form of exercise that makes you feel strong and empowered. This could look like going on long walks with your dog, dancing in your living room, starting or ending your day with yoga, or even riding your bike to work!
4. Keep up the communication.
A big part of transitioning into your new job is learning how to communicate clearly and effectively in a new workplace environment. When you start a new job, you might feel pressure to do everything on your own or to “prove your worth” by completing everything as quickly as possible. But remember that everyone else around you is expecting you to ask questions. Give yourself the time and space to ask clarifying questions, make mistakes, and learn new things in the process. Be honest, to both your manager and yourself, about what you’re struggling with. You can also get in touch with other coworkers, or the human resources office, to receive additional support. However, try your best to avoid workplace gossip, especially as a new employee. While these side conversations can be a fun way to get to know other people, this activity can actually cause more stress and lower morale in the long run. So communicate clearly and effectively at work, but also remember to step away from any gossipy conversations that make you feel uncomfortable.
5. Set some time to unplug every day after work.
Lunch breaks are great times to de-stress, but make sure you are also scheduling time to spend alone at home, or with friends and family, away from all workplace responsibilities. This can feel extremely difficult, especially as a new employee who is trying to navigate a work-life balance. Unplugging from work can feel even more difficult if you are working at home. (Those emails are just sitting there in your phone, waiting to be opened!) If you’re struggling to put your work after the workday is officially over, try to silence email notifications on your devices. You can also try to make a list of non-work-related items you want to get done in your free time, such as “start reading a book,” or “cook a meal.” If you’re working from home, you could try designating a space in your house that is a “no-work zone.” This could be your bedroom, the kitchen, or a corner of the living room. Enjoy these no-work zones in the evenings, which will train your brain to relax after a long day of work.
Do you need help adjusting to a new job or another event in your life? Schedule your complimentary consultation with You.Time Online.