Navigating Work Struggles: Supporting Your Mental Health

In today's fast-paced world, our careers play a significant role in our lives. While work can be fulfilling and purpose-driven, it can also become a source of stress, anxiety, and unhappiness.

At Vitus Wellbeing, we stress the importance of recognising the signs that you may be struggling at work (these will be different for everyone) and knowing which steps to take to support your mental health along the way. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the more common signs and provide practical tips, drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to help you find a path that feels authentic, purposeful, and meaningful.

Recognising the Signs: Are You Struggling at Work?

1. Persistent Stress and Anxiety: If you find yourself constantly stressed or anxious about work, it's a sign that something may be amiss. Integrative therapy can help you find the root causes and understand why you're finding the situation stressful, while CBT can help you identify and challenge negative any thought patterns that contribute to these feelings,

2. Lack of Motivation and Engagement: If you've lost interest in your job and struggle to find motivation, it may indicate a disconnect between your work and your core values. Your therapist can help you by exploring what truly matters to you and how well your current role fits in.

3. Physical Symptoms: Frequent headaches, sleep disturbances, stomach upsets or other physical symptoms can be a manifestation of work-related stress. Relaxation and mindfulness techniques can help you manage these symptoms, but we'd always recommend trying to change the circumstances causing the upsets instead of purely managing the symptoms.

4. Social Withdrawal: If you're isolating yourself from colleagues or loved ones, it may indicate emotional distress or unease. Try to connect with the underlying thoughts and beliefs contributing to this behaviour - are you needing alone time, or are you feeling too drained or ashamed to speak to others?

Supporting Your Mental Health

While the specific approach needed will vary from person to person, here are some tips that will benefit most who are struggling with work-related stress or anxiety:

1. Practice Self-Care: Prioritise self-care routines that promote your own emotional wellbeing. Engage in activities you enjoy, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. CBT can help you challenge any negative self-talk that may hinder self-care, and mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help improve your self-awareness as you learn what your mind and body need.

2. Set Realistic Goals: Establish achievable short-term and long-term goals for your career. Break these goals into manageable steps so they're less overwhelming and you can see the progress you're making from week-to-week.

3. Values Clarification: Understand your core values and what truly matters to you. This can be a bit tricky on your own, but is something a qualified therapist can really help you with. Your therapist can guide you in exploring your core beliefs and aligning your career choices with these values.

4. Seek Professional Help: If you're struggling to manage work-related stress, consider seeking the support of a mental health professional. Your therapist can tailor the approach to best suit your needs, and help you feel less alone as you find the right path for you.

5. Explore New Opportunities: If you find that your current job does not align with your values and goals, consider exploring new career opportunities. Change often comes with a level of anxiety or uncertainty, but this is perfectly manageable with a good support network or healthy platform.

6. Finding Authenticity and Meaning Ultimately, the path to a fulfilling career lies in understanding yourself, your core values, and what brings you a sense of purpose and meaning.

At Vitus Wellbeing, our team of expert practitioners is here to support you on your journey to better mental health and a more fulfilling career. We believe that by recognising the signs that you're struggling, choosing to seek help, and aligning your work with your values, you can create a life that truly reflects who you are and who you aspire to be.

If you'd like to know more, please do get in touch - we'd be happy to help.

Carly

Vitus Wellbeing

info@vituswellbeing.com | 07429 473199 | www.vituswellbeing.com