Mental energy at work

There are those who claim that a healthy level of stress is necessary. But what is a healthy level? How much daily mental stress can a person handle before it negatively affects their energy level? Increasing numbers of employees have difficulty maintaining the same level of mental energy throughout the day. They feel overwhelmed more quickly, lose concentration, and can’t seem to stop thinking about work. Over the years, we are exposed to more and more systematic expectations – both at work and at home. And if the battery simply runs out of power and is not sufficiently recharged, this can lead to increased stress, frustration, and eventually even burnout and absenteeism.

How can you protect the mental energy balance?

Every employee handles stimuli differently. One person may feel overwhelmed by something that someone else may be better able to put into perspective. How mental energy remains in balance is different for everyone. But you can also make a number of tools available within your organisation to support your employees.

First listen, then respond

Don’t immediately jump to organising an afternoon of mindfulness or a mandatory yoga class before every shift.

How do they experience stress and stimuli at work? Are they sufficiently able to disconnect? What role does their work environment play? Ask your employees about these things and then determine the necessary actions.

Strong policy, not isolated actions

Whichever actions you decide to take, make sure they are incorporated into your policy. This doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, review the flexibility of breaks or the possibility for meeting-free days or half-days.

Managers also play an important role. Help them pick up on early signs of stress and make sure they have the right skills to engage in open dialogue with their people.

From multitasking to mindfulness

Depending on the challenges, you can establish different types of actions.

Start by offering insight into how mental energy works and how employees can regulate this throughout the day.

• Low-threshold training sessions on mindfulness, breathing techniques, resilience, and focus management help employees understand why their brain needs a break and how to cope with work pressure.
  
  

• Short workshops like weekly yoga or stretching sessions, guided breathing sessions, or the possibility of a chair massage can help bring calm and focus to the daily routine.
  
  

• Always involve managers in actions since mental energy and burnout prevention require teamwork.

Apart from knowledge, it is essential that employees are also given the opportunity to do what is best for their mental energy. This might be flexible breaks or regular exercise – preferably outdoors if possible. Make clear agreements on meetings: not back-to-back, during lunch breaks, or after working hours. Follow a school schedule: 50 minutes of focus, 10 minutes of break. 😉

ℹ️ By combining concrete actions with policy integration and organisational culture, you can support long-term mental energy.

Tried-and-tested in practice: Wellbeing month for greater happiness at work

Dorien Simons, vitality expert at Mensura: “We organised a ‘Wellbeing Month’ for a client that focused on mental energy and relaxation. This included informative training sessions and practical sessions on breathing, meditation, and massage (including self-massage). The practical sessions included exercises and participants were given practical tips and tricks to make these good habits a regular part of their day. Flyers were also provided and all kinds of information was shared on their intranet. The actions were very positively received by the employees.”