How to Protect Your Mental Health During the Workday (Without Quitting Your Job)
Let’s be real: work can be emotionally draining.
Even when you love what you do, juggling deadlines, meetings, emails, emotional labor, and personal responsibilities can feel like a lot. Especially for women.
At VestNow, we believe financial wellness and mental wellness go hand in hand. So no, protecting your mental health isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategy. A life-saving one.
The good news? You don’t have to overhaul your entire career or move to a cabin in the woods to feel better. You can start with how you structure your day.
Here’s how.
🧠 Step 1: Know What Fuels You (and What Drains You)
Before changing anything, observe your patterns.
✍️ Try this:
Keep a simple “energy log” for 2–3 days.
Note the moments that lift you up and the ones that deplete you.
Look for patterns. Meetings? Emails? Social pressure? Noise?
Once you spot the patterns, you can protect your peace proactively.
📅 Step 2: Start Your Day With You
Before you check your inbox or feed, check in with yourself.
Even 5 minutes can make a difference:
Stretch or breathe deeply
Journal 3 lines of intention
Drink water slowly and intentionally
Step outside if you can
💡 Starting with presence shifts your energy from reactive to grounded.
⏰ Step 3: Break Your Day Into Energy Zones
Not every hour is created equal.
You don’t need a perfectly color-coded calendar—but understanding your rhythms is powerful.
⚡ Morning focus? Schedule deep work early.
💬 Midday slump? Put in lighter admin or walking meetings.
💖 Afternoon pep? Reserve that for collaborative or creative tasks.
This isn’t laziness. It’s strategic energy management.
🔕 Step 4: Protect Your Transitions
The moments between tasks matter more than we think.
Every time you hop from call → email → task with no breath in between, your nervous system stays on high alert.
Try this between transitions:
2-minute walk/stretch
Look out the window for 60 seconds
Shake out your hands or roll your shoulders
Play a song you love while switching gears
🎧 Your brain is not a machine. Give it buffer time.
💬 Step 5: Set Boundaries—Even the Small Ones Count
We know it’s easier said than done. But boundaries don’t always mean big declarations.
Here are examples of “micro-boundaries” you can start today:
Turning off Slack/email notifications for 25 minutes at a time
Saying “Can we schedule this for later?” instead of taking spontaneous calls
Using a status emoji that says “Deep Focus Mode”
Logging off when your work hours are done—and not apologizing for it
Small boundaries protect your big energy.
🌸 Step 6: End With a Soft Landing
Instead of logging off in a panic or mid-email, try closing your workday intentionally.
🧘🏽♀️ Try this 5-minute “soft landing”:
Write down tomorrow’s top 3 priorities
Celebrate 1 small win (even if it’s just “I showed up”)
Physically close your laptop
Do a small ritual—wash your face, light a candle, or play a favorite song
Let your body and mind know: We’re done for today. We can rest.
💜 Final Thought From VestNow
You don’t need to quit your job to reclaim your peace.
By being just a little more intentional with how you move through the day, you can protect your nervous system, preserve your energy, and support your long-term success.
You deserve ease. You deserve calm. You deserve work that works for you.