DoM Staff Blog

For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (14 – 20 May 2018), we’ve compiled a list of tips and best practices to help reduce stress levels for both you and your colleagues in the work place.

Emails

1. Think about the purpose of the email and who needs to know about it. Apply this when deciding who to copy into emails.
2. Copy people in on a “need to know basis”
3. Consider whether it might be easier to go and speak to the individual concerned, and follow up afterwards with an email.

Breaks

1. Take regular breaks away from your screen.
2. Stretch your legs and get some fresh air at lunchtime. It makes you far more productive than eating your lunch at your desk.

 Work/Life Balance

1. You should not feel pressured to work over and above your contractual hours, or outside of the working pattern that has been agreed with your line manager.
2. It is recognised that in some cases with certain projects, or tight deadlines this may occur. However, this should not be common practice and if it starts to become the normal pattern of work, it should be discussed with your line manager.
3. Leave work at work.
4. Ensure meetings are arranged within core working hours.
5. The Department of Medicine operates a Mentoring scheme which might benefit individuals who want to discuss issues such as managing work with competing priorities at home. To find out more, visit: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/staff-development/development-options/talent-development/mentoring-at-imperial/mentoring-in-the-faculty-of-medicine/

Communication

1. Make a point of ensuring you have face-to-face contact with individuals during the working day.
2. Arrange regular catch-ups with your line manager, or team.
3. Organise social events with your work colleagues, such as a team lunch

For more information about mental health support and resources available in the College, visit: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/health-and-wellbeing/mental-health/