Ask This Mom – How do I balance my emotional health with my work life?

I joined a young friend on a lovely summer day at a local park. With no clouds in the sky, the sun shone brightly but a light breeze cooled us. It was one of those days I dream about in the cold month of February. My body relaxed as I let the gentle warmth penetrate my bones.
Sitting at a picnic table, she leaned in and said, “My emotional health is important to me.”

Meeting her gaze, I saw the dark circles under her eyes. Her messy bun was askew and her clothes a bit rumpled. She had all the markings of someone who was struggling. As she continued to talk, she shared the details of her situation. Her latest concern was keeping her job after an emotional upset affected her work performance.

Like many Gen Zers, good mental health was a priority for her. In many ways, her generation demonstrates that everyone needs to pay attention to this part of our health. However, we do this without over-focusing on it. My generation often doesn’t demonstrate a good example as we are good at stuffing those emotions instead of dealing with them. Where do we find balance?

1. As with our physical health, simple tactics like getting enough sleep and eating well lay the groundwork for healthy mental well-being. I find nighttime is not the time for me to tackle a problem. It works better for me to tuck it away and deal with it in the morning when I am rested. For other people, they need to tackle it before they go to bed so they don’t continue thinking about it. Which works for you?
2. Make a regular practice of reading and meditating on Scripture. Pray through what you are reading. God cares about your emotions and well-being.
   I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. Psalm 120:1 (NLT). God knows what you are dealing with but spending time with Him redirects our focus from our problem back to God. When do you schedule time with God?
3. Know your mental health triggers. With anxiety, depression, and other struggles discern the circumstances before the mental switch occurred. Is there something in your daily life that impairs your emotional health?
   Monitor yourself on social media, driving in traffic, and interacting with people. Look for patterns of emotional responses. Adjust your routines to counter these responses. What is your trigger?
4. Stockpile emotional health tools in times of feeling well. Develop a workout routine, make time for a hobby, get fresh air, or plan to visit favorite places like a local park or coffee shop. Look for the places and activities that restore you and keep a list. Push yourself to continue those practices when you are feeling down. Where is your happy place?
5. Depending on your job, you may need to temporarily shelve your emotional upset. This is easier said than done. The generations before you did this to an extreme and we don’t want to follow that example. However, at work, you are paid to produce a product, and you need to honor your boss with that product. Practicing a good work ethic in healthy seasons develops habits to maintain balance in difficult ones. What are your healthy practices in your job?
6. A sign of a healthy person is the ability to self-monitor. Recognize when you are not producing good work because of suffering a mental health setback. Don’t wait until you are corrected, your boss may not say anything, but they do notice. Continual misuse of your work time could result in consequences without any warning. In overwhelming seasons, request time off or take sick leave when you are unable to do your job. Taking this initiative to communicate your needs is a sign of maturity. In the past, what was your breaking point?
7. If you work from home, schedule human interaction outside your work hours. Even introverted individuals need social interactions. Meeting online is fine but interacting with others outside your home and workplace is also important. Who do you enjoy meeting with?
8. Younger generations have normalized therapy. That is a beautiful practice to maintain. Depending on your level of need, whether you see a professional therapist or meet with a mentor, it is important to have a trusting relationship we can count on. Find the right fit for you. Who is your safe person?

Our goal is balance. We don’t have to ignore one to achieve the other. Learning this balance, and incorporating it into our daily lives, will make it a lifelong habit.