5 ways to maintain your mental health while working in a high-stress job

5 ways to maintain yur mental health while working in a high-stress job5 ways to maintain your mental health while working in a high-stress jobWeve all been there. Its 8 p.m. You receive a Slack message from your manager reminding you that your deadline is at midnight, or that a key client is unhappy, or that youll have to come into the office this weekend to schliff a reportdespite whatever plans you might have already made.When these things happen, those of us on the other side of the computer screen suffer. We suffer because we become overwhelmed, anxious, and, above all,stressed. And stress ultimately damages our mental health and our overall quality of life.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreNow, while a majority of Americans reportfeeling stress at work, there are some companies who proactively try and help their employees protect their mental health.For example, early in my career, I worked at Federal Express, a place where leadership offered employees mental health days to ensure we were all taking care of ourselves. They did this because they understood the nature of our work to be inherently stressfulwhether it was meeting a deadline or dealing with irate customers, everyone at the company was from time to time overworked. Because of that, they wanted to help us combat negative feelings.This was, of course, great, but the truth is, not all companies are so empathetic or caring. And understanding as we do that stress isphysiologically damaging, its incumbent upon us to take steps to protect and nurture our own mental health.We shouldnt feel ashamed of investing in as much, either. Rather, its smart to actively invest in yourmental health. Its a matter of being fully present in both your professionalandyour personal life, and of taking action to be the best version of yourself possible.Here are a few strategies Ive learned to be helpful to this end ov er the course of my career.1) Always take your breaks and lunchesAmericans, especially, glamorize over-working. We think that to work relentlesslyand to forgo your breaks during the dayis evidence of your passion, commitment, and investment. As such, many of us do things like eat lunch at our desks or stay in our windowless office for 9 hours straight.This is, in a word, shortsighted.Simply put, people are more effective when they take regular breaksand that includes eating lunch away from your laptop. AtWorld Changers, I encourage my employees to take 15-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon, in addition to going on walks and clearing their head as needed. This, I believe, allows our minds to reset and declutter so that when we come back to our work, our responsibilities feel more manageable.2) Exercise regularlyOur physical health directly impacts our mental health.If we neglect our bodiesif we dont go outside during the day, or exercise often, or go for walkswe put ourselves in a deeper hole.Its not always easy, but you need to prioritize doing things like going to the gym or otherwise being active for some parts of the day. Whether your company assists you with this or not, think of it as another means of investing in your mental acuity.3) Actually take mental health days if you need themThe mental health days I took from time to time at Federal Express were essential. They gave me set blocks of time with which I could reset. They helped me maintain, too, a sort of balanced perspective in which I saw my work as merely a facet of my lifenot myentirelife.Like taking 30 minutes to exercise or eating lunch away from your laptop, allowing yourself to take mental health days amounts to investing in your improved ability to focus and be productive while youre at work. Humans are not machines. Just as we cant operate at 100% capacity without breaks all day, we cant operate at optimal efficiency allyearwithout ever taking a meaningful amount of timebe it a day or a weekaway from the office.4) Unplug from work when you get homeSimilarly, to truly protect your mental health, you must set aside timein addition to lunches and daily breaksthats solely for you and your family. If you find yourselfalwayschecking your email at home, oralwaysmonitoring Slack, youre never giving yourself essential time to appreciate your loved ones or the things that make you happywhich is something all humans need.As someone whos run several organizations, this is a point Ive learned a lot about over the years. Its tempting to forfeit your entire life to the people youre in charge of and the initiatives you want badly to succeed. But giving yourself so holistically to your work breeds resentment and, in time, erodes happiness. Ive benefited immensely from ensuring that my time at home, when Im not at the office, is spent solely with my family, members of my church, or reading a great book.We can only be effective as professionals if we remain cognizant of who we areand what we love doingas people. Being a person comes first.5) Delegate your responsibilities at workFinally, remember not to push yourself past your breaking point.This was another big lesson for me. Early in my career, I thought that to give up the chance totake on morewas akin to forfeiting my chance at a future promotion or raise. But the truth is, if you accept more responsibility than you can reasonably handle, youll end up doing more damage than good.So, when you reach your breaking point, dont try and barrel past it. Define what your boundaries are, speak up when youve reached them, and delegate some of your responsibilities to your people.If this sounds hard, youre not alone. I know many ambitious, inspired people suffer from the same false belief I sometimes suffer from, which is this idea that we have to doeverythingourselves. Its a belief compounded by the anxiety that if were not pushing ourselves past our limits of capacity, were not doing enough to get ahead or suc ceed.But your ambition cannot supersede the importance of maintaining your mental health. Because its true at a certain point, overworking really does become unproductive.At the end of the day, in order to be most effective, you have to be happy, healthy, and mentally balanced.In some ways, then, protecting your mental health is your first and most important responsibility as an enterprising professional. Its an ongoing project you cant afford to neglecteven when you get that late night Slack message.This article first appeared on Minutes.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people