Your personal well-being check-in

Your job inevitably affects your wellbeing and mental health. Whether you’re in a high-pressure position, work irregular hours, or are demotivated in your role, your employment can impact your mental health for a variety of reasons.

It’s worth checking in with your wellbeing occasionally. We’ve pooled the best resources from Mental Health First Aid’s Take 10 and weekly wellbeing campaigns, Mental Health Foundation’s good mental health survey, and the NHS Moodzone self-assessment to create a checklist which may help you identify whether and where you’re struggling.

Print it out, write down your thoughts, and hopefully you’ll get a clearer sense of why you’re not feeling quite like yourself.

Overall mood

Do you feel lethargic or as though you have ‘mind fog’?

Are you experiencing noticeable mood swings?

Do you ever have issues engaging with your work and/or your colleagues?

Are you able to switch off at home?

Productivity

How well are you managing your workload?

Do you struggle with motivation?

How easy do you find it to remain focused on activities?

How easy do you find it to get started on projects, of any size?

Working habits

How often do you work through lunch or eat at your desk?

How often do you avoid starting tasks to then rush them last minute?

How supported do you feel at work?

In general, how positive are your working relationships?

When you picture yourself succeeding in your role, what do you see?

Personal health

Have you noticed a change in appetite – either eating less or overeating?

Do you crave sugary or fast food?

Have you felt shaky or anxious at work recently?

Have you noticed feelings of worry, or have you experienced panic attacks, recently?

Do you think there’s a link between your current mood and your workload?

Personal life

In general, how are your personal relationships?

Are you excited by seeing friends and family?

Do you have energy after work to do social activities?

How do you spend your weekends or evenings?

What gives you motivation and energy?

Seeking help

Do you feel able to voice any concerns to your line manager?

Do you feel able to talk about mental health at work?

Do you know where to look for medical advice about low moods, anxiety, or stress?

Which trusted friends or colleagues can you talk to?

For a number of years, CMI’s Quality of Working Life research has looked at the relationship between personal wellbeing and productivity. It’s clear that modern working life comes with many stresses and demands, but that the negative impacts can be minimised by the best forward-thinking management – and by enabling employees to prioritise their health. By taking some time to check in with your feelings, you can identify the early signs of potential problems.

For more help, please visit the NHS Moodzone, Mental Health First Aid, or the Mental Health Foundation.

If you think you’re struggling at work, read the CMI guide to approaching your manager with a problem for help on tackling that difficult conversation head-on.

Check out our new Career Wellbeing Programme by logging into the Careers Development Centre.

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