World Mental Health Day is October 10, a time when many of us are feeling more pressure than usual. As we enter the final quarter of the year, the race to meet goals intensifies, especially in agency life, where client demands increase and deadlines feel tighter. This makes it even more important to pause and prioritize our mental well-being before the final push toward 2025.
Taking time today to consider your mental health will set you up for success. Whether you struggle with chronic mental health issues or are burned out from a busy year, these tips will help you reprioritize so you can move forward feeling refreshed, re-energized, and ready to prioritize your mental well-being not just today, but every day.
Celebrate the Wins
In PR agency life, it can be easy to forget to take time and appreciate personal wins, big or small. Keep a folder in your inbox or on your desktop for collecting positive feedback or personal wins. This can be as simple as a “good job” from your manager, or as big as securing a feature article in The Wall Street Journal. Whenever you need a pick-me-up, it’ll be there as a reminder of your progress.
Your personal growth is important, and this starts with giving yourself a pat on the back. At Racepoint Global (RPG), we’re constantly working toward the next big win for our clients. Taking a moment to reflect on your personal wins every so often can help us maintain energy and spark as we move full steam ahead.
Have an Attitude of Gratitude
According to research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It can help us feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. As much as we should take time to appreciate our own wins, it’s also important to take time to show gratitude for our colleagues’ wins.
One of my favorite benefits at RPG is our stipend for sending each other moments of recognition with a monetary value. This encourages us not only to say thank you, but to show our gratitude through a personal moment of recognition. Nothing says thank you better than “I really appreciated your hard work on this—coffee on me today.” A bonus to these acts of gratitude: they will also make you feel good.
Take Care of Yourself Outside of Work
As someone with generalized anxiety, I’ve been in therapy for most of my life. At work, this used to feel like a taboo subject. I started a new job in 2020, and the head of my division was incredibly open about her own mental health care and therapy appointments. This sent a powerful message to the team: Mental health matters and taking time for yourself is okay. I now block my calendar when I have therapy and hope that by doing this, I can encourage my teams to not feel any shame about their own mental health care.
In addition to therapy, caring for your physical health—whether that’s through exercise or improving your diet—can have a positive impact on your mental state. Small actions add up over time, so why not take a moment today to schedule your next Mental Health Day? At RPG, we have Wellness Days we can take throughout the year, no questions asked. Whether you’re sick or just need a break, Wellness Days are separate from paid time off days and are there when we need them.
While World Mental Health Day is only one day a year, mental health isn’t solely a one-day focus; it’s an everyday commitment to yourself and your growth. Take advantage of the resources your company provides to support mental health. Along with Wellness Days, RPG also offers a wellness stipend, tuition reimbursement, and sabbatical programs to support our mental health throughout the year.
Take advantage of the above tips and tricks to prioritize your mental health at work. Say thank you often—to others and to yourself—and take care of yourself outside of work with proper sleep, movement, and nutritious foods. The more we talk about the importance of mental health, the more we can overcome historical stigma tied to it in the workplace. Happy World Mental Health Day!