Reading Time: 5 Minutes
From the Transitions to Work program.
Published: May 13, 2022
Hello everyone,
My name is Ilinka and you can find me on Instagram: @ilinkabeckles_va or Twitter: @ilinkabecklesva and I currently work full time at the Vision Achievement Academy.
This blog is a bit more of a personal one in aid of mental health awareness week…
What some of you may not know about me is that currently I live with mental health.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
What does this mean for me in a workplace?
It could mean I am an anxious person, but what it actually means is that I think of every opportunity possible in the work place which allows me to find the best outcomes.
It could mean that I only think about my own view, but what it actually means is I am very self aware and always want to ensure my colleagues are well and know that they can talk about anything that’s happened in their day etc.
Mental health awareness week is an opportunity of awareness and education for a better future for yourself, friends, family, neighbours, strangers, colleagues.
As someone who has mental health illnesses I know how difficult it can be on the hard days in the work place so here are some tips for you:
- Keep active on sound work times, weather this be your lunch break or after work, watching your favourite programme, going for a walk, eating a healthy meal
- Ask for help when needed, it is so important that you give yourself the chance to succeed in your work environment as well as having the right environment with the correct support
- Create your own goals in your personal life, this could be going for a walk once a day or ensuring you have set days to look after yourself such as washing your hair, seeing friends, setting aside 5 minutes out of your work day to reassess how you are feeling can really help when pausing.
- Talk about your feelings, let your line manager know the illnesses you are dealing with as they themselves may have strategies for you which can help with keeping lines of communication open and allow you to thrive at work.
- Reach out when urgently needed some work places may allow you to take a mental health day or a paid holiday for a rest because after all mental health is just as important as our physical health.
Here are a couple of links that may be helpful for education and self help purposes:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/
The key thing is to know is there is support and finding strategies in a work place that work for you will have a huge positive impact.
As always if you have any questions about the Academy or in regards to my blog today you can message us on our website, via social media or email socials@visionachievement.uk, or ibeckles@visionachievement.uk
Have a great weekend, looking forward to hearing from you all.
Take care of yourselves
Ilinka
