How can Service Operations professionals prioritize mental health?

Service operation professionals experience extra element of stress as they deal with customers directly apart from other stake holders. By virtue of the nature of job, only the complainants would reach them, hardly anyone thanking them after the work. The best way to keep stress under check is by having following points understood: 1) Do not get emotional on customer's anger as he/she is not angry with YOU but with product or service you are just representing, so that angry comment or mail is NOT for YOU. 2) Patience & improved listening skills would help you a lot in keeping stress low, as well as increase your ability to dissolve the situation for a solution.

In my perspective, Taking care of your mental health is like being a superhero for yourself – step one is spotting the signs of stress and burnout. If you're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, irritable, anxious, or down, or dealing with headaches, insomnia, or tummy issues, those are your signals. Use handy tools like online quizzes, apps, or journals to check your stress level. And remember, seeking professional support like counseling or therapy is like calling in the superhero squad when you need extra help. It's all about being your mental health hero!

It’s essential to identify the symptoms as your general mood shifts towards anger. It is never easy to disconnect as a service operations professional as you are expected to be available in most scenarios and hence it is even more important to prioritise the little things. Little things like walking away from your desk, grabbing a glass of water, shifting your gaze towards the window or just stretching out would give you a few seconds to reflect on your actions and correct course. Identifying and assessing stress level is the most important part of protecting your mental health as a service operations professional.

Yes, the first step is to recognize the signs of stress and burnout and understanding and acknowledging that it is due to stress and burnout. Most of us don't take the time to listen to our bodies because we are so busy with our responsibilities at work and home. I have found that walking is a great way to relieve stress.

With ITSM - everyday is a new day . There is no routine and we can’t expect everyday to be the same. When assessing your stress try to identify what is the trigger - multi tasking, trying to be proactive and over thinking , managing calls , handling customers, triages etc. Bottling up any pain or emotion will eventually increase your stress level and push you outside the limits. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need a break - even if it’s a small task. Plan out your breaks with music, walks or meditation etc.

What I have seen , Being a mental health superhero continues with step two – draw clear lines between work and personal life. Think of it like setting up superhero shields! Define your roles, responsibilities, and expectations, and let everyone know. Don't be afraid to say no to crazy requests, share the load by delegating tasks, and ask for help when you need it. Stick to a regular schedule, take breaks, and power down work stuff when you're off duty – it's like your superhero chill time. Keep those boundaries strong for a balanced and healthy life!

Try to finish your important day to day task on an before deadline.Incase if any challenge to meet the deadline You should effectively discuss with the concerns stakeholder to avoid any communication gap and to later create any Chaos.So when you leave for the day entire day task must be completed and remaining task must be completed as per the set deadline.If you are follow this .you will definately enjoy your working and unnecessary stress can be avoided.

This is the absolute key to enjoy a healthy work life. It is equally important for managers to understand that people from certain cultural background find it difficult to set boundaries. So it becomes doubly important for managers and companies to create an environment that employees feel safe to draw healthy boundaries.

The first step is being realistic, you cannot create a boundary between your work and your life. You show up in both arena's with the triumphs and challenges of both. More damaging to mental health than the cross over is to put costume's on and off depending upon the environment you are in. Rather, I recommend you set clear expectations with your manager, your peers and your friends and family. This allows you to articulate what you need from them and also how you will be showing up for each group. If you have a major release and need to work all weekend, setting expectations that you will be unavailable for your friends and family will decrease a signficant amount of stress for example.

It is hard for many of us to set healthy boundaries especially if we were raised in a culture where it may be considered disrespectful to say no to the elders in the family. We carry that belief into our workplaces. Once we learn how to say no to unreasonable requests, it gets easier.

In my opinion, Becoming a mental health superhero continues with step three – self-care is your superpower! Treat yourself right by looking after your body, emotions, and social connections. Eat well, get moving, catch enough Zs, and find your Zen with activities like meditation, reading, or jamming to music. Hang out with friends and family – they're your superhero support team. You can even join hobby groups, volunteer, or connect with professionals who share your interests and values. It's all about filling your life with things that bring you joy and fulfillment!

Being in Operations, it is must to have a physical activity- playing a sport, running, walking or any other. Make sure it should not be another task. Here you forget everything and just relax. For me it is Badminton; it reboots mind.

This is what we usually call the "release valves" as they are activities that relax, distract and take our attention away from what generates the pressure. In my case, I combine physical activities like swimming and hiking, with handiwork like making self-propelled wooden models or ceramic pieces, reading, cooking and spending time with my familiy and friends. These are my "release valves". What are yours?

Almost all mothers- both working outside the home and those who care for children and family members think that it is selfish to practice self care. I was fortunate to have a good friend who reminded me that I cannot help others if "my cup is empty". I agree that eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, meditating, reading, listening to music and doing things that bring you joy, are great ways to practice self care.

A good strategy I use is to try to check the worst case scenario and be happy that it didn't happen. But this is not my invention. Negative visualization is a method of meditative praxis by visualization of the worst-case scenarios. The method originated with the Cyreanic philosophers and was later adopted by Stoic philosophers. The technique was made popular with publications of Seneca the Younger's Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium. It is thought to have been one of the common forms of Stoic spiritual exercises.

Agree that learning a new skill is a great way to not only cope with stress and enhance your performance but also make you feel self-confident and worthy. It is also a great way to improve the quality of your life.

I would enhance skillsets so that your daily life becomes easier. Example- A dashboard which is updated hourly or shorter duration will give everyone (from a ground level staff to CEO) clear visibility on how things are shaping up. Learn how to prepare dashboard.

In my experience, a good rule that can helps your mental health is: Try not to harm the mental health of others. This law includes many skills, including: Team leadership, Avoid micro-managing, Approachability, Managing diversity, Professional ethics, ...

Yes, agree that seeking feedback is a great way to improve your skills and confidence. Almost all of us have one or two peers who we know and trust. Industry awards and certifications and publications are wonderful ways to seek feedback and recognition. As someone who managed an international team excellence award program for over 25 years, I know that it is such a rewarding and fulfilling experience to see the transformation in the award recipients.

Senior Management should keep it a habit or a routine - monthly or quarterly to recognize top performers, conduct team events outside workplace , dinner parties , game or movie nights etc, this will definitely contribute to a positive attitude and clear off the mental pressure and stress time to time.

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." Friedrich Nietzsche A useful book that I can introduce in this field: "Start With Why" is about a naturally occurring pattern, a way of thinking, acting and communicating that gives some leaders the ability to inspire those around them. The more organisations and people who learn to also start with WHY, the more people there will be who wake up feeling fulfilled by the work they do.

Any job we are doing, we got to involve 100%. Don’t look for greenery outside. One always says their previous job was great. So no use being stressed out.