How do you take care of your mental health?
Ask a Biologist Monday 3/18/24
Answers from Biologists:
Try to have a good work-life balance, have friends outside of work. See your job as your job.
Gym, hiking in mountains, and being with friends.
Having a hobby that’s healthy, fun, and time consuming. Running marathons.
Talk to friends, counselling, daily walks, nature time, hikes, set boundaries with work.
Find a place that you can always go to no matter what to get away from the job.
Learn to say not just “no” but “hell no”.
Taking a HARD separation from work when I need it. Swing work/life balance to “life”.
Work life balance.
I sought out psychological care and therapy. It was life changing.
Having a toolbox of coping skills at the ready has been life changing.
Therapy helped me find coping skills for things, whether it be anxiety, low mood or a conflict.
Therapy. And forgiving myself for needing to use minimal effort (eating out instead of cooking, etc.).
Going for walks during office days at work.
Advocate for your work life balance and try regular therapy.
Have an exercise routine that’s just for you/separate from fieldwork.
Therapy and taking time to myself by not engaging in conversations/social media.
Switching to part time zookeeping to have a better work/life balance.
Therapy, work life balance, meds (if needed, break the stigma).
I keep a journal an small paint palette with me. Helps me stay focused on what’s in front of me and why I do this.
I made a yoga/meditation room. I also take a day for me time. Turn off the phone/computer.
Finding snakes and taking pictures of them.
Finding hobbies unrelated to my work.
Plan small weekend trips to look forward to decompress from work stress.
Medication. It’s so important for many people.
Counseling, medications as prescribed. Time with loved ones and listening to music.
Therapy and hobbies not related to work in any way.
Learning to not feel guilty taking time off when I need it.
Several 5 minute walks throughout the day and a change of working environments or office spaces.
Spend time in the gym in the mornings.
Make sure I take breaks when I need to and go walk.
Get some daily movement. Either on a quick outside walk (fresh air) or just stretching/walking inside.
Forms of movement outside as often as possible, therapy, yoga, and creative hobbies.
Mental health days to stay indoors.
Making sure I take time to recreate and enjoy nature, not just study it.
Daily walks to decompress. Mental health days if I can’t focus.
Work/life balance and learning how to say no.
Take a mental health day and do something specifically for you to turn off your work brain.
Let your friends know. Mine are always happy to have a chat and it lifts my mood.
Meditation, adventure sports, relationship outside of conservation and learn to laugh.
Restarted therapy, stopped watching news/reading public comments regarding conservation.
Exercising.
Therapy, exercise, pharmaceuticals.
Spend time with my dogs. Take a walk with phone turned off and just connect with another living being.
Boundaries with work. I don’t give out my cell phone number to public or put work email on phone.
Prioritize life and activities outside of work. For me, it’s good to have some separation.
Work life balance.
Therapy, go enjoy nature without it being work. Find hobbies, friendship.
Get outside, even if it’s five minutes.
