The Best Digital Tools for Managing Stress and Mental Health

As we face tough challenges taking a toll on our wellbeing at work, here are the best digital tools for managing stress and mental health.Working in the charity sector can be greatly rewarding and unites people with a passion for progress. We love our jobs because we care deeply about what we do. However, we can face challenges at work that affect our wellbeing. We review the best digital tools for managing stress and mental health.

Our sector faces specific challenges. Charity workers face major deadlines, keen regulation and the need for accountability which can induce stress and impact mental health. A significant source of stress is money as charities are largely dependent on donations and raising their own revenue. The threat of cuts and dwindling funding can add to the problem.

Putting Mental Health First
The significance of good mental health is gaining ground in discussions about the workplace. Charity staff are emotionally invested in their jobs but don’t always have a support network to depend on. Putting self-care first is essential for employees, service users and the organisation itself.

‘Self-care is important’, says Lesley Dixon from social support charity PSS. ‘It’s all well and good just putting your all into it, burning out, and that’s not good for you as an individual, it’s not good for the organisation, it’s not good for people who use the services.’

There are distinct challenges in managing self-care for directors and managers in the charity sector. Whether facing bereavement in cancer charities, supporting vulnerable refugees or helping survivors of sexual violence, charity sector staff face enormously traumatic and distressing situations regularly as part of the daily working day.

“We work with a lot of Syrians who have come over on the government’s resettlement programme”, says Maurice Wren from the Refugee Council, “and their level of traumatisation is higher than we’re used to from other resettled refugees. And that worries me because it means that we’re having to cope with that, we’re having to take that on.”

The tendency of charities to depend on volunteers, part-time staff and teammates working remotely also raises wellbeing issues. Judi Rhys from Arthritis Care refers to ‘that sense of isolation… the sense of not quite being connected with the rest of the workforce’ as one problem. The tendency to dedicate and commit long hours is problematic, too. The pressure can be overwhelming.

Read the full Digital Charity News Article by clicking here.

Source: Charity Digital News