Employment and work-related issues Archives

Maintaining Motivation

laura on 21/07/2021

Not motivated to exercise as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on? You’re not alone!

Most of us are having trouble sticking with healthy habits right now. There’s less structure in our lives and social events are cancelled or move online, as a result many of us are facing additional stress and anxiety due to social isolation, financial worries, or family/personal health concerns. All of this makes it hard to maintain motivation. Just like every other challenging time in history, this time shall also pass.

Below is a list of tips to help you achieve your personal best and stay motivated, and how to cope and thrive during these challenging times:

Start your day with a plan and a schedule: It is important to recognise that these are not normal times and individual productivity is likely to be not at its peak right now. So setting daily goals with a list of things you would like to achieve in a day is likely to increase accountability and give you a visual reminder to work on achieving the tasks you have set on your plan.

Squeeze in shorter bouts of activity. By planning when you will work and when you will relax can help you to manage a healthy work-life balance at home. Exercise doesn’t have to be long or for hours. Short bouts of exercise are equally beneficial, and often serve as motivation to exercise more. If you have a busy day, schedule in two ten or fifteen-minute workouts. Or make it a habit to do a round of push-ups in between online meetings. Notice how good exercise makes you feel. You’re much more likely to exercise regularly when you take a moment afterwards to focus on how good you feel.

Think of innovative way to stay connected socially: Why not schedule virtual get-togethers with your friends? Ideas like Friday night drinks, Netflix parties, virtual trivia nights or even group dinner parties, where you all decide on a theme, share recipes and eat together. You could also make a regular date to chat on the phone while each of you walks around your neighbourhood.

Be kind to yourself: Give yourself small rewards when you accomplish a task or goal. Having something to look forward to makes it easier to stick to your plans and maintain motivation. You may find that some days you are highly motivated and get through more tasks than you had planned, but other days you have no focus at all. It’s okay, nothing is normal right now, and we all need to listen to ourselves.

Looking after your mental health: If you are feeling down, anxious, or depressed more than occasionally, this can interfere with your motivation and general health and wellbeing. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep and prioritizing your mental health. If the feelings continue to persist, it’s okay to reach out for support.

Through these tough times, it can hard to stay motivated, just remind yourself that this time will eventually pass, set realistic goals for yourself and take the time to look after yourself.

Remember it’s good to reach out for support. If you are going through difficulties and need to find your inner strength, why not give us a call today? Our team of highly skilled and well-experienced Psychologists are here to help.

This blog was written by Aanchal Sood, Psychologist at Your Mind Matters.

Aanchal completed studies in psychopharmacology and psychology in England, and is fluent in both Hindi and Punjabi.

Aanchal has experience assisting adolescents, adults and couples to address a variety of difficulties including anxiety and mood disorders, grief and loss, trauma and stress related disorders, adjustment issues (e.g. cultural adjustment), sleep difficulties, relationship difficulties, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, obsessive compulsive and related disorders.

Aanchal works with us 1-2 evenings per week.

Beating The Monday Morning Blues

laura on 12/10/2019

I think we’ve all experienced that sense of dread as Monday rolls around. Feeling ‘blue’ with the lead up to the working week, commonly known as ‘The Monday Morning Blues’ is quite relatable for a lot of us. Most people begin to feel ‘blue’ on a Sunday, given that Sunday signifies the end of the weekend.

Why are Mondays so dreaded?

We tend to overwork ourselves during the work week, at times telling ourselves the more we get done, the more time we will have to relax over the weekend, recharge and have some fun. Yet, this isn’t always the case. Weekends tend to be busy and although we might have fun things planned, staying up late and having too much on, can quickly contribute to feelings of exhaustion by the time Monday arrives. This means that our mind and body haven’t had the opportunity to unwind and prepare us for the next five working days. The thought of having to get through another five days of work (or more) before a day off again can give rise to that sense of dread.

Here are some tips to help with managing the Monday Morning Blues….

Set some time aside on a Sunday evening to engage in a low-key activity. Why not have a bath, do some reading, or engage in some mindfulness? This will help to make you feel more rested and is a good way to end the weekend. That, coupled with an early night and a good night’s sleep can help give you that extra energy boost to start the working week.
Prepare the night before. Pack your lunch, get your bag ready and decide what to wear. This will help to make Monday’s run a bit smoother and can be helpful to adopt each day of the working week, to aid with timeliness and reduce the chance of running late in the mornings.
Get up early on Monday and go for a brisk walk. This helps to get you energised. Give yourself ample time to have some brekkie, read the paper and that way you’re not rushing. If you’re not a breakfast person, take something on the go to snack on later in the morning.
Take regular breaks throughout the working day. Not just on Monday, but every day. Regular breaks help with concentration, performance and productivity, and contributes to your overall wellbeing. Taking regular breaks also means that you are less tired by the end of the working week. If you are interested in reading more about the benefits of breaks throughout the workday, follow the link below [1].
Schedule in enjoyable activities throughout the week, rather than leaving all the ‘fun stuff’ to the weekend.
Rather than catching up with friends or family on a weekend, why not try to be social on a Monday night. Family and friends will likely be more available, and you can have something to look forward to on Monday night.
Friday tends to be a treat day. Why not shift this to a Monday? Treat yourself to something nice like lunch with a work colleague, make the effort to go for a walk at lunchtime or grab a coffee on your tea break. Why not eat out for dinner or get take-out? Try to make Monday a day to look forward to.
If you try some of these suggestions and yet you STILL find yourself dreading Mondays, then I would suggest trying to uncover why Mondays make you feel so blue. It may be time to reconsider your career or job and find something more suited to you. Maybe a conventional 9-5, Monday to Friday, isn’t for you. Or maybe you haven’t taken leave in quite some time. Often, if we have reached the point of burnout, we may need more than a couple of days to recharge, so some time off might just do the trick.

If you would like some support with managing the Monday Morning Blues, why not give us a call? Our psychologists are here to help.

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais, psychologist at Your Mind Matters Psychology Services. She works with us 4 days per week (day and evening sessions) and is passionate about working with clients suffering from various anxiety disorders.

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2018/05/29/new-study-shows-correlation-between-employee-engagement-and-the-long-lost-lunch-break/#fed356b4efc7

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

laura on 03/07/2017

What is an Employee Assistance Program?

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an arrangement between an organisation and its employees to provide a variety of support programs for the employees. This can include assessment, short-term counselling, referrals, and on-site support for critical incidents.

EAP is a voluntary counselling service designed to assist employees to address various personal issues, either work-related or personal, in a confidential manner. EAP services are also often available to immediate family members.

In a nutshell, it is designed to enhance the psychological wellbeing of employees and provide intervention to address work and/or personal difficulties that may impact on work performance, productivity and attendance.

Is there a fee involved?

EAP services come at no cost to the employee or family member. Sessions are short-term and most employers will fund three to six sessions per employee.

What are some common work-related issues addressed through EAP?

EAP can assist with various work-related issues including organisational change, workplace stress, redundancy, career concerns, fear of job loss, job isolation, specific incident at work, job satisfaction, conflict with colleagues or management. Workplace bullying is one of the most common presenting problems.

What is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying is defined as verbal, physical, social or psychological abuse by your employer, manager/supervisor, colleague, or group of people at your workplace. Workplace bullying can occur in any work setting and can happen to anyone whether you are a paid employee, volunteer, or placement student. In order for behaviour to be classed as ‘bullying’, it has to be repeated, i.e. it has occurred on more than one occasion.

Bullying in the workplace can involve:

Repeated hurtful or derogatory comments which can include making fun of you and/or your work. This can happen privately, where there is no one else to witness the behaviour or in front of other staff.
Excluding you from work-related activities.
Playing mind games.
Intimidation, which includes speaking to you in a way that makes you feel inferior.
Placing unrealistic expectations on you such as giving you tasks which would be impossible to complete given the timeframe or resources.
Withholding information from you which is necessary for you to complete your work.
Sexual harassment including sexual comments or inappropriate touching.
Physical abuse such as pushing, shoving or tripping.
Inappropriate jokes or pranks which lead to you feeling ridiculed or embarrassed.
Attacking or threatening you with weapons.

Workplace bullying can impact on an individual’s work. It can lead to reduced productivity, absenteeism, fear of losing your job, loss of confidence, feeling stressed and physical impacts such as insomnia. In addition, bullying can impact on an individual’s personal life including relationships, social interaction, and lead to mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety.

It must be mentioned, that some situations within a workplace may seem unfair but are not bullying. It is acceptable for your employer to transfer, demote, performance manage, or let you go, provided they are acting reasonably and there is a legitimate reason for their decision.

What you can do.

Find out if your organisation has a bullying policy and complaints procedure. Most companies will have information on the intranet or you can speak to Human Resources (HR) if you are not sure.
Keep a log or diary of all incidents of bullying including details of what you did to address the issue.
Get support from someone you trust or contact the union.
Approach the bully (if you feel safe and confident to do so) and let them know that their behaviour is not acceptable.
Raise the issue with a manager or HR.

How EAP can assist with addressing workplace bullying?

An EAP counselling service can assist by helping you to keep informed with regards to what behaviour constitutes bullying, provide you with strategies on how to handle the situations and procedures you can follow.

One of the most challenging things for individuals is to approach the bully and let them know that their behaviour is unwanted. Counselling can assist by empowering you to identify that there are steps you can take to stop this behaviour. You will be provided with assertiveness training (a communication style which focuses on standing up for yourself in a way that is respectful towards you and the other person involved) and tools to build your confidence.

Why use EAP?

EAP services are not only free for staff and immediate family members, but have been statistically proven to enhance employee’s productivity levels and reduce absenteeism from work. Research on the efficacy of EAP’s show that working with a Psychologist can improve emotional well-being (↑86.4%), physical health (↑24.8%), work-like balance (↑44.8%), workplace moral and motivation (↑49.5%) and productivity (↑24.0%), improve workplace relationships (↑27.3%), and reduce absenteeism (36% improvement).

How do I access EAP services?

EAP services can be accessed by speaking to your manager, HR department or finding the name of the EAP provider that your organisation is linked to. Once you have these details, you are able to contact the EAP provider and organise an appointment. EAP providers have psychology practices that they will refer you to in order to find a service that is easily accessible. All information is handled in a confidential manner, and your employer does not know that you have accessed these services, unless you choose to tell them.

If your organisation does not already have an EAP provider, visit our EAP page or give us a call on (03) 9809 5947.

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais, Psychologist at Your Mind Matters.

Maria has a long history of working in Employment Services and has a strong understanding of the stressors staff can endure when working towards KPIs, deadlines, when they are overworked, or there is a workplace issue.

We spend a lot of time at work, so its important that the time there is as enjoyable as possible.

Maria works with us 4 days per week and has both evening and day session times. To learn more about Maria, click here.