Friday – Health & Wellness

Caring for Your Mental Wellbeing When Work Keeps Shifting

There’s a specific kind of stress that doesn’t get talked about enough.

It’s not one big crisis.

It’s constant shifting.

One minute you think things are set.

The next minute a department is dismantled.

Responsibilities change.

More gets added.

Compensation doesn’t.

Leadership restructures.

And you’re left adjusting. Again.

You still need a job.

You still show up.

You still perform.

But internally?

It’s exhausting.

Younger staff may go with the flow more easily. They’re newer to the workforce. They haven’t seen “how it used to be.”

Seasoned staff remember structure.

We remember when things made sense.

We remember when staffing matched workload.

That memory can make change feel heavier.

So what’s the answer when your workplace won’t stop shifting?

Not quitting.

Not spiraling.

Not pretending it doesn’t bother you.

But grounding yourself in what you can control.

1️⃣ Ask for Clarity

When things shift, don’t assume.

Ask your supervisor:

• What are the expectations moving forward?

• What are my priorities?

• What is temporary vs permanent?

• Who do I report concerns to?

Clarity reduces anxiety.

Even if you don’t like the answer, knowing is stabilizing.

2️⃣ Define Your Role Boundaries

If more responsibilities are added without more support, decide:

• What must get done?

• What can wait?

• What is outside your scope?

You are not required to carry organizational instability on your back.

Do your job well.

Don’t do three jobs silently.

3️⃣ Accept Personality Differences

Some coworkers will:

• Panic

• Overreact

• Withdraw

• Gossip

• Pretend nothing is happening

Different nervous systems respond differently.

Don’t absorb everyone else’s stress.

Regulate your own.

4️⃣ Practice Self-Care At Work

Not just after.

• Step outside for fresh air.

• Eat lunch away from chaos.

• Stretch your neck and shoulders.

• Take your PTO when needed.

• Call off when you’re not well.

You are not more valuable because you push through pain.

5️⃣ Leave Work at Work

This is the hardest one.

When you clock out:

You clock out mentally.

No replaying conversations.

No predicting April.

No carrying what you cannot control.

Go home.

Watch the sunset.

Pet the cat.

Drink the coffee.

Your job is not your identity.

Workplaces change.

They restructure.

They shift leadership.

They move people around like puzzle pieces.

But your mental wellbeing is not negotiable.

You can’t control the organization.

You can control:

Your boundaries.

Your clarity.

Your rest.

Your response.

And sometimes… that’s enough.

— Lady Flava 🌻