No one can fault the nation’s work ethic, but it’s not making us happy.
Last year, Mental Health First Aid England reported that one in six workers will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time.
Last year, Mental Health First Aid England reported that one in six workers will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time.
Cary Cooper (@ProfCaryCooper), a professor at the University of Manchester, says that 20 years ago the leading cause of absence at work was backache — now it’s stress, anxiety and depression.
“It was 57% of all long-term sickness absence. During the pandemic it rose to 63%.”
“It was 57% of all long-term sickness absence. During the pandemic it rose to 63%.”
“In our digital age, we have to process a lot of information. That requires your brain to be in a state of high vigilance,” says Dr Mithu Storoni (@StoroniMithu), a neuroscience researcher. It puts us on the “absolute edge”.
When you’re already struggling to cope with deadlines, email flurries, pinging phones and frequent attention-switching, she explains, a small trigger — spilling coffee over your work, a curt interaction with a colleague — can tip you into a state of acute stress. 
Why are we working so much? Partly because the pandemic turned our homes into offices and hybrid-working has normalised bad habits, such as getting up and opening our laptop 15 minutes later. 💻
So how can we better manage stress?
Learn to prioritise your workload. “Ask yourself, ‘What is the most important thing I must do over the next 24, 48 hours?’ Attend to that and leave the rest for a few days,” says @ProfCaryCooper.
Learn to prioritise your workload. “Ask yourself, ‘What is the most important thing I must do over the next 24, 48 hours?’ Attend to that and leave the rest for a few days,” says @ProfCaryCooper.
Get on top of negative thinking 🧠
Be constructive. “Ask practical questions. ‘Why?’ makes you feel powerless. ‘How?’ gives you something to work on — and more control,” says @StoroniMithu.
Be constructive. “Ask practical questions. ‘Why?’ makes you feel powerless. ‘How?’ gives you something to work on — and more control,” says @StoroniMithu.
Stop checking your emails first thing 💻
We do this to feel in control and get a head start on the day, but it’s a no-no, @ProfCaryCooper says, because “it’s best to avoid getting ‘pumped up’ first thing.”
We do this to feel in control and get a head start on the day, but it’s a no-no, @ProfCaryCooper says, because “it’s best to avoid getting ‘pumped up’ first thing.”
Switch off outside office hours ❌
If your day at work has been “stress, stress, stress”, then you come home and do nothing, that stressful state is prolonged, @StoroniMithu says. You need a circuit-breaker, she says, such as going for a run or reading a book.
If your day at work has been “stress, stress, stress”, then you come home and do nothing, that stressful state is prolonged, @StoroniMithu says. You need a circuit-breaker, she says, such as going for a run or reading a book.
Move from your desk 🚶♀️
Being parked on your backside for hours on end is harmful to your physical and mental health. Regular short breaks can improve your mood and lessen feelings of fatigue.
Being parked on your backside for hours on end is harmful to your physical and mental health. Regular short breaks can improve your mood and lessen feelings of fatigue.
Read more: thetimes.co.uk/article/why-th…
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