Looking After Your Mental Health at Work: Warning Signs and Practical Self-Care
Spot the signs your mind is getting worn out, manage work and boundaries day to day, talk to your manager, and know when to seek professional help.
On Sunday evening your chest tightens at the thought of Monday morning. At night you cannot sleep because you keep running through unanswered emails. During the day small things irritate you that never used to. Many people brush this off as “just tired”. But if it happens every week, your mind is telling you it is time to take care of yourself seriously.
What is mental health at work?
Mental health at work means you can still think clearly, cope with pressure, have energy to work and keep a happy life outside work. It does not mean having no stress at all. Short-term stress is a normal part of work. The problem starts when stress becomes chronic and begins to affect your sleep, relationships or ability to work.
Warning signs not to ignore
Emotional
- Feeling burned out, not wanting to start even work you used to enjoy
- Worrying about work in advance almost every day
- Feeling worthless or that nothing you do is good enough
Physical and behavioural
- Trouble sleeping, or never feeling rested however long you sleep
- Headaches, stomach aches or getting ill more often
- Procrastinating often, short attention, forgetting simple things
- Withdrawing from colleagues and people close to you
If several of these last more than two weeks, it is time to act seriously rather than waiting for a long holiday.
Looking after yourself during the workday
Break work into pieces you can finish
Big, endless tasks create a lot of anxiety. Break them into sub-tasks you can finish within an hour and cross them off one by one. A sense of progress genuinely reduces pressure.
Take deliberate breaks
Get up, refill your water or look into the distance for five minutes after long stretches of work. Eat lunch away from the screen, and do not spend breaks scrolling work chats.
Set an end-of-day boundary
Turn off work chat notifications after a set time and tell your team in advance: “I will not be checking chat after 8 pm. If something is truly urgent, please call.” A line like this is clear and still responsible.
Look after the physical basics
Enough sleep, movement and regular meals sound ordinary, but they are the first things to go when work gets heavy, and they are the foundation for coping with stress.
How to talk to your manager when work overflows
You do not need to share everything personal, but describe the work situation honestly and offer options. For example:
“I have three projects due in the same week. If I do them all at once, the quality will not be good enough. I suggest delivering project A first and moving B to next week, or if B matters more, could you tell me the order you prefer?”
Letting your manager choose priorities shows them the real workload, and you do not carry the decision alone.
When to seek professional help
If you keep feeling worse, your eating or sleeping is clearly affected, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, do not cope alone. You can see a psychiatrist or psychologist, check whether your company offers employee counselling or health insurance that covers it, and in Thailand call the Department of Mental Health hotline 1323, available 24 hours a day. This article is general information, not a diagnosis; please consult a professional if you have symptoms.
If a colleague seems to be struggling
Sometimes the person who needs help is not you but the colleague next to you. Start privately: “You seem tired lately. Want to grab lunch and talk?” Listen without rushing to advise or judge, and if it seems more serious than you can help with, encourage them to see a professional.
Resting is not giving up. It is part of being able to work for the long run.
Where to start
- This week, note which part of the day feels most stressful and which work causes it.
- Choose one boundary you can set right away, such as turning off notifications after hours.
- If work is overflowing, book time with your manager with your task list and a priority proposal.
- Talk to at least one person you trust; do not wait until it gets heavy.
- If things do not improve in two or three weeks, book a mental health professional.
If you feel you are burning out, read dealing with burnout and the art of saying no professionally. If the problem really comes from your environment, check the signs in signs of a toxic workplace to help you decide.