7 TIPS FOR MENTAL WELLBEING OF TECH GEEKS

Working in the tech realm brings along the pressures to succeed, maintaining the impression that everything is fine, risk of limited social interactions, fearful of asking for help thus making one more prone to mental health challenges. Mental wellbeing is not a binary state – you are not either mentally healthy or ill. The three main indicators of mental wellbeing are:

Ability to carry on with daily functions be it at work, college or home

Ability to adapt and change when faced with challenges

Ability to give and receive love in terms of building connections with others

We can get better or worse on these indicators along a spectrum, depending on different circumstances. On one end of the spectrum is well-being, then there is stress, distress and at the extreme end is clinical diagnosis. Some ways to support our mental well-being:

Recognize the need for moments of ‘Pause’ during the day

In this hustle culture tackling one task after another has become a norm. It’s important to recognize the voice that says, ‘I am tired and I need to rest’. Firstly, become aware of what it feels like in the body to feel tired and depleted. Also, do expect feelings like panic, fear, discomfort when you give yourself permission to pause and take a break. It helps to become aware of the internal dialogue which says, “I need rest, but I will fall behind”. Observe and be kind to that part and let it know, “yes the to-do list will become longer AND this is what I require at this point in time”.

Ask yourself - Is this a real emergency?

According to Dr. Shalini Sharma, Associate Director Counselling and Wellness at Plaksha University, “Being at work requires us to make many small as well as big decisions. These moments are accompanied by a great deal of uncertainty too. Every time you become aware of the need to respond immediately to texts, emails, or things not going as per plan, ask yourself “Is this a real emergency or a bump in the road but a recoverable kind of moment”? It can help us shift our perspective, regulate ourselves and look for possible solutions.”

Self-care and self-compassion

Not just acts of self-care, but also compassion towards ourselves is an important part of wellbeing. Self-compassion includes an element of common humanity wherein it’s not just me, it’s us. I am not the only one or the first one to have experienced something like this. There is self-kindness, observing how we are talking to ourselves and mindfulness, noticing how we are feeling, what parts of our days are difficult to let go off.

Often practising self-compassion can feel challenging as it’s not a ‘doing paradigm’ but a ‘being paradigm’. So, it’s important to be aware that in the beginning these ‘kind words’ can sort of feel empty. An alternative is to practise behavioural self-compassion, which means asking, “what do I need to feel safe, comforted in the moment”? It could look like petting your dog or taking a short break from work. We need to personalise our self-compassion practice based on our individual needs and life circumstances.

Set boundaries: too much, too little, just right!

There is always a struggle in balancing work hours and personal time. Our desire to manage everything, accommodating all kinds of requests from people, feels like we are being generous and kind. So, it’s crucial to set boundaries-consider setting limits on work hours, doing small experiments in what it feels like to say no to a request, turning off work notifications during your downtime. Taking care of yourself is just as important as excelling at your job!

READ ALSO: Talking back to your inner demons

Identify your functional anchors

These are activities, habits which ground and anchor us during the day. It could be physical movement, exercise, taking a few deep breaths from time to time, music, reading, a quick walk or simply enjoying a cup of coffee. Take your time to see what works for you and include one or two of them in your day and even more so on days when things are not feeling so great. What if these functional anchors are not another ‘thing to do’ on your plate but the plate itself?

READ ALSO: 5 tips to live mindfully and how it can improve your relationships

How are you feeling?

It’s easy to get caught up in your work and become disconnected from others. Conversations with close friends, family can be an opportunity to share how you are really feeling rather than a cursory fine, good response to that question! Give yourself permission to reach out for help if required.

Pat yourself on your shoulders

Finally, remind yourself of your small wins and successes where you did things differently than before. There will still be days when you don’t feel like getting out of bed or the day has not gone as planned, let yourself know, “yes, I am feeling frustrated or anxious AND I give myself permission to do one thing differently today!”