Topic Tuesday // Employment and Mental Health // Tues 8th June, 7:00-8:30PM AEST

[Former-Member]

For the community: How do you maintain a work life balance?

I mentioned that I work part time which balances my time so I can get life stuff done. However, I pack five days of workload into the four working days. There's no reduced workload. I am lucky to have a team I can share the work with. Also I try and always take a walk outside for a break at lunch time as my job is indoors. The other thing is self care so saying no if I am too busy, taking a quick break in between meetings to stretch/relax, keep work at work and life at home which is difficult sometimes. 

[Ultravox]

There are websites such as My Future which is good
https://myfuture.edu.au

Job Outlook is another good one;
https://joboutlook.gov.au

Or this https://yourcareer.gov.au

Also Work Employment Agencies or Disability Employment Services are also useful. Some specialise in mental illness.

[Daisydreamer]

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@Zoe7 wrote:

@Daisydreamer It is impossible for me to leave work at work because of the nature of my work but I do allocate hours that are just for me and as I have several different roles in my job - compartmentalising what I do for each role and when is imperative. That also means I can work on what I need for each role before I move onto the next task. I now also do not take on many extra responsibilities to allow myself the time to do what I need for both work and home. Time managemanet, prioritising everything (what I can do, what can wait and time for myself) is also something I have become so much better at. 

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Sounds like you have found some great strategies to cope with work stress @Zoe7. Prioritising is such a great thing to do, and can help to work out what you say yes and no to in terms of commitments and extra responsibilities 🙂 

[Zoe7]

Good night @BlueBay 

[Daisydreamer]

Question 5: For everyone following this discussion tonight, what are some of the attributes of a mentally healthy workplace?

[Ultravox]

That is great Zoe7. It is so important even for just 10 minutes. It is helpful to do this and to break up your day.

[Shaz51]

@Daisydreamer, @Ultravox 

we have learnt to work smarter then harder over the years 

having the weekend off for our hobbies unless chatching up on jobs 

we come home for lunch most days and having a hour at home before going again 

being flexible sometimes like yesterday afternoon 

keeping a work diary and saying no to jobs 

will totally mean less income but better care for us 

[Ultravox]

What are some of the attributes of a mentally healthy workplace?

There are a number of things that help in creating a mentally healthy workplace. Providing staff with flexible workplace arrangements is more important than ever, especially with people working longer hours and jobs being more stressful and demanding. It is also paramount to create a working environment and culture where people enjoy coming to work, being productive, where the work is meaningful and enjoyable and be accepted for who they are.

Having understanding and empathetic management who respect confidentiality when you share personal information with them or the HR department is paramount as well as good working conditions such as decent lunch breaks, training opportunities, career progression, access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Reflection Leave (extra time off).

Lastly, it is important to show faith in your workforce and let them have input into the decision making process as certain management styles, such as micromanagement can be undermining and bad for morale and workers’ mental health. 

[Zoe7]

Funnily enough @Daisydreamer doing a little housework each night has helped me the most. I no longer get to the end of the week and have so much school work to do as well as the housework - that can be overwhelming - so a little each night when I get home is now a routine I am in and it is working well for me.

[Daisydreamer]

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@Former-Member wrote:

For the community: How do you maintain a work life balance?

I mentioned that I work part time which balances my time so I can get life stuff done. However, I pack five days of workload into the four working days. There's no reduced workload. I am lucky to have a team I can share the work with. Also I try and always take a walk outside for a break at lunch time as my job is indoors. The other thing is self care so saying no if I am too busy, taking a quick break in between meetings to stretch/relax, keep work at work and life at home which is difficult sometimes. 

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Brilliant strategies to manage your time @Former-Member. I love the idea of taking a quick break between meetings. Particuarly with more and more time on screens these days, and often with work in our home spaces since 2020, small breaks make a difference