By Mallory Hughes, SHRM-SCP, Human Resources Manager, Audigy
Congratulations! After an intense period of completing applications, attaching résumés and cover letters, and giving your all in interviews, you’ve landed a great job. So what’s next?
In the shift from scoring the position to proving yourself in the new role, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance. Too many new employees face burnout or other mental health impacts if self-care takes a backseat.
How can you put your best foot forward for the job and yourself? Here are five tips to safeguard your mental health and well-being while still demonstrating commitment to your new workplace.
- Take It One Day at a Time
Remember, there’s no such thing as the perfect work-to-life ratio that will produce the most desirable outcomes. Some days you’ll need more time to tend to your emotional well-being. Other days you may find that throwing yourself fully into your work fills your cup. The key is to take frequent stock of your needs.
- Establish Reasonable Goals
Ever feel overwhelmed just thinking about everything you want or need to accomplish? It’s important to set manageable targets, be intentional in your approach, and aim to always be present in the task at hand. This not only fosters greater efficiency but also helps you deliver a quality performance because your focus isn’t spread in too many directions. To-do lists, planners, calendars — all are viable ways to create structure for organizing your time and attention.
- Say “No” When You Need To
Respectful candor goes a long way, and sometimes that includes saying “No” when warranted. As a new employee, it can be particularly challenging to express reasonable boundaries. Doing so, however, lets you deliver your best work rather than just a lot of work, which can protect your well-being and differentiate you as a solid employee.
- Allow Yourself a Moment
Taking a 5- to 15-minute break can clear your head, reinvigorate your ability to handle stress, and improve your decision-making. Along the same lines, don’t skip lunch. It isn’t the flex you may think it is to be that colleague who never stops working. Depriving yourself of a little down time, which could have helped you recharge, can torpedo your ability to realize your best work.
- Ask for What You Need
If an additional hour of training on a task will allow you to approach the project with greater efficiency and confidence, it’s important to speak up. The combination of new routines associated with a new role plus the influx of information you’re processing during your learning period might leave you fatigued or overwhelmed. Discuss with your leader the possibility of a block of time on your schedule to reflect on what you’ve learned.
With these proven steps, creating a healthy work-life balance may be easier than you think. Even if it feels a little out of your comfort zone at first, adopting these practices can bring benefits that last a lifetime. Get started today!
Did you know? Audigy’s HR expertise helps workplace teams succeed. Learn more now.
Mallory Hughes joined Audigy with 10 years of combined leadership and HR experience from the retail environment. Working for a large retailer, Mallory quickly found her passion in driving morale on large teams by investing time in the individual employee. Her experience navigating progressively more complex leadership roles has developed her into the curious, solution-oriented, and ever-positive HR professional she is today. Mallory holds a B.A. in philosophy from San Jose State University, where she focused her studies on ethics and ethical theory.