Everyday it appears mental health awareness is hitting the headlines.

Stress, anxiety and depression are all on the increase as CEO’s look to safeguard the future of their organisations and employees contemplate the future.

During the last lockdown 46.6% of employees did some work from home.  80% of this was due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As the dark nights draw in a lot of us working from home may feel isolated.

As a father and business owner I wanted to share with you how I plan my week which I hope will raise your own mental health awareness.

1. Self-Care

The first thing I do each Sunday is plan my week ahead and the first thing to go into my diary is time away from work.

Whether this is planning a bike ride, walking the dogs or listening to an audiobook.

If you don’t give your mind some time away to switch off then you’ll be less productive when you do start work.

By scheduling these activities into your diary you also won’t feel guilty for taking some time out.

Action Point: Look at your diary for this week and plan some time away even if this means rescheduling appointments.

2. Plan your week

By planning your week you’ll ensure you focus on what needs to be done.  

3. Rituals

Each morning when I wake up I practice meditation and gratitude.

It’s a great way to focus the mind to be productive.

At the end of the day I review my wins for the day and look ahead for tomorrow.

This gives you a definitive start and end time for the day.

4. Use your most valuable asset wisely

Our most precious commodity is time. 

By planning your week you can use your time wisely.

But did you know there are ways to gain time?

• In the future more of us will use zoom for those business calls rather than waste time travelling to meetings.
• Try scheduling those weekly meetings to 40 minutes instead of an hour.  Not only will you and your team become more focused but you’ll gain days back throughout the year.
• Schedule your work time around when you’re most productive.  So if you work better first thing in the morning and early evening then schedule this time for work and do your exercise in the afternoon.

5. Your home is your new office

Make sure you have a designated place to work.

Think about it…

If you work from the comfort of your sofa or lounging on the floor using the coffee table as a desk, you will be less productive than sitting at a desk because your subconscious mind is already in a relaxed and unwind state.

So if you can have a designated workspace with an ergonomic chair you will be in work mode and once you reach the end of your working day, you can close the lid on your laptop and move to the comfort of your sofa to spend time with your family.

6. Dress for success

Each time you work, wear what you would for the office.

This gets your mind into work mode so if you’re on zoom, make sure you’re fully dressed.

7. Remember, you’re not alone

Make sure you have regularly check-in call with your team or a fellow employee.  

This way you won’t feel isolated and will have someone you can talk to.

8. Mental health awareness in others

How do you know if a colleague is mentally struggling with today’s reality?

Is it the person who’s having a quiet day or the one who’s overly enthusiastic?

And how do you go about starting a conversation to find out if they need support?

One way to raise the mental health awareness in your organisation by becoming a well-being champion.

During lockdown we wanted to do our part to help which is why we’ve reduced the cost of our accredited online first aid for mental health course by 50%!

To take up this limited half price offer just click on the following link:

Online Accredited First Aid for Mental Health Course >

P.S: If you know someone who’s struggling with substance abuse during these unprecedented times, then speak to our food friends at CADAS.