For most of us, the line between work and life is increasingly less visible, and one has to wonder how to maintain a balanced life in these circumstances. Our Activator of the Month, Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Kimberley Carder, spoke about the subject of mental health at work and creating healthy habits for a happy life.

The big question is, what can you do to kick-start your New Year’s resolutions and improve your well-being? Dr. Carder’s definition of mental health is an “ability to consider multiple perspectives”. While some people are more prone to depression, it is worth noting that healthy habits can go a really long way in helping to maintain your balance:
• Exercising 3 times a week has been proven to be just as effective as a course of antidepressants. Aim for 20-40 minutes of intense cardio, walk more and be more active.
• Sleep is very important, and there is a sleep-lack epidemic that must be addressed.
• Healthful foods are a vital way to nourish your body and have a positive impact on your mind as well.

Once you have started tackling these points, you may want to address your relationships and the connections that you build with others. In fact, Dr. Carder stated, that our well-being is intrinsically defined by the healthy relationships that we cultivate.
The levels of loneliness around the world are higher than they have ever been, yet we are perpetually connected on social media, which relates both to our work and life. We are constantly facing the ‘message divide’: is it ‘the work you’ or ‘just you’ replying? There are several ways to address building healthy relationships with others.

1. Define and maintain boundaries:
Always saying ‘yes’ makes you exhausted and bitter: but where do you draw the line? Try looking at boundaries as values, then define what yours are (connection, growth, or perhaps relationships?). Choose to embody them and make it a practice. When you say ‘no’, it is because it is not your value.

2. Strong communication:
Pay more attention to your communication skills, as often it is not about ‘what’, as much as it is about ‘how’ you say it. Practice active listening, ask questions like “Did I hear what you are saying?” or clarify with “Did I hear you correctly?” and make it a real dialogue.

3. Assess your fulfilment
Be frank with yourself — ideally you should reach at least 80% alignment to your values through your job. Simply put, does your job bring you joy? While one option is to look for more opportunities, you may also want to train yourself to seek out the positive. Have a gratitude practice by reflecting on two things that were good in your day, and make it a habit.

Our IPWS Thought Activator was concluded with a Q&A and group discussions. We would like to give a warm thank you to Dr. Carder and all the attendees, who shared their experiences and ideas. Also, many thanks to our wonderful venue for the evening, Hu Hu Tang.

Photos by Jenna Ohrnberg.