Mental Health in the Workplace
I am Kiera Zuliani, and I am a new placement student here at Sudbury’s WorkersEducation and Advocacy Centre. I study Social Service Work at Cambrian College, and I am in my first year. I have been really enjoying my program and my placement so far! I am very thankful to be here at SWEAC as I want to stand up and prioritize workers’ rights and help support people with their advocacy when in times of need.
As a college student, I tend to be stressed out throughout the week as I have a part-time job to attend, classes to be at, and I get anxious about my financial concerns as schooling is expensive. I am the typical “broke college student” and this impacts not only me, but other people in Ontario who are in the same situation as me. There is lots of pressure to get all your schoolwork done, making sure to always work hard at your job, and continue to worry about if you have enough money in your bank account to pay for things. For example, I need to pay back my schooling and try my best to keep saving my money. Throughout this period in my life, I have experienced lots of anxiety with all of this pressure and it impacts my mental well-being throughout my everyday life.
During these difficult times, I have gained lots of coping skills and learnt how to manage the pressures of school, work and my financial concerns. Some ways I cope, is that I set out goals for myself that are realistic and attainable that I will look forward to achieving. A newer goal of mine is to finish all of my homework by the end of each week. This allows me to make sure all of my schoolwork is done which is very rewarding. Another way I manage, is making
sure to always write stuff down in a calendar. I put my due dates for all of my assignments, write down the days I work, and things that I need to do. This allows me to know what is going on each and every day, and not get stressed out since everything will be planned for the month.
Also, I believe that making time for yourself every day is one of the most important coping skills. With stressors in life, practicing self-care can help you to relax and focus on either your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Some ways I like to practice self-care, is going on walks, working out, listening to music, and hanging out with my dog! Lastly, I like to
talk to my friends and family about my worries, as a way to manage. When talking to the people that I trust, it helps me to clear my mind and makes me feel like I have a big weight lifted off my shoulders when I am feeling tense. These are my most used coping skills and ways that I am able manage my overall well-being!
I have learnt that in life, there are many obstacles but there is always a way to push through. I hope that sharing my ways how to deal with school, work and financial stress, can help all of you. When dealing with labour issues and these particular stressors, everyone at Sudbury’s Workers Education and Advocacy Centre care for you and would love to help. I am overall very happy to be here at SWEAC and doing what I love. Helping people.
-Kiera Z
