An honest, weekly review of your current mental health status is something everyone should be doing. To avoid feeling overwhelmed or burning out, check in with yourself using the following strategies.

 

Evaluate your Time

The way in which you spend your time is a huge indicator of the state of your mental health. Make a log of everything you’re spending time on throughout your day. Are you being productive? Efficient? Are you meeting deadlines and expectations for work and/or for yourself? If large chunks of your day are spent wasting time, sleeping, or avoiding your work, there may be an underlying mental health issue happening. Additionally, take note of whether or not you’re working too much. Human beings crave balance between their professional, and personal lives. When you overwork, you risk burning yourself out. This can be incredibly harmful to your mental state. If you find yourself struggling with overworking, identify places where you can delegate or ease some of the burden off yourself.

Woman looking out window

Phone a Friend

If possible, ask your friends, family and co-workers what they’re seeing in terms of your behavior and productivity. It can be difficult at times to objectively take note on how you’re doing mentally. The people around you will be able to pick up on things you may not even realize you’re doing. You could benefit from a small weekly discussion about your performance, attitude, and overall mental health. Be honest with yourself about how often you need to lean on those around you for support. Are you relying too much on others to feel okay? On the flip side, are you scared or hesitant to reach out for help when you need it? Find a happy medium between these two ends of the spectrum.

 

Focus on your Needs

Once you’ve figured how you’re doing mentally, you need to ascertain what your needs are. If you’re finding it hard to be productive, figure out the root cause for your inability to execute. Maybe you’re feeling intimidated by the sheer amount of work you need to do. In a situation like this, you could break your work up into smaller, more manageable tasks. Set goals for yourself on what you need to complete in a day and focus solely on those items. If you’re feeling overworked and burnt out, find things you can do in order to relieve some stress. Incorporating self- care into your life is an important part of maintaining positive mental health. It’s easy to neglect ourselves when things get chaotic or stressful in our lives. Luckily for you, self-care can come in many different forms. There are many quick and simple things you can do including taking a walk, meditating, zoning out on your phone, or watching a short 20 minute show. Find what works for you!

 

Mental health maintenance is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Stay happy and focused by checking in with yourself weekly.