Working in a marketing agency is, without a doubt, exciting and dynamic, but as with any industry, it can also be stressful and anxiety-inducing.
That’s why it’s vital to take care of your mental health by setting necessary boundaries, seeking support where needed and practising self-care.
In the workplace, introducing strategies to maintain a healthy and positive environment can benefit your team and even your clients.
Here at AB, we’re always working on putting mental health strategies into practice to maintain a positive workplace for our team. Here are some examples of how we manage stress and anxiety in a fast-paced marketing environment:
1. Collaboration and communication
Our company’s culture focuses on collaboration and supporting our team members, while making sure we live our values at all times.
We place a lot of value upon collaboration within our team, as collaborating can help to reduce stress and panic – it means that the pressure isn’t just on one person. Collaborating also helps to improve our communication and problem-solving skills, and we often end up producing better, more well-rounded work for our clients.
Communication is also critical – both internally and with our clients. We focus on communicating information as soon as possible to give plenty of warning and avoid last-minute panics. We also always try and set clear boundaries, whether that’s with the team about meeting-free zones or explaining our processes and agreeing SLAs with clients at the start of a project. This way, everyone has the same expectations from the outset and we find that this encourages and positive, stress-reduced environment.
Transparency and respect allow our ABers to foster a sense of support, reduction in stress levels and importantly increase job satisfaction. This is why we prioritise maintaining these values as a company.
2. Self-care
As a team, when a stressful event occurs, we reach out to one another for support, providing a safe place to deal with the event and figure out how best to move forward.
We introduced flexible, hybrid working, encouraged by the dreaded ‘C’ word that had a global impact for a few years. At first, the hybrid working style and flexible hours took a bit of getting used to, but now it’s safe to say all of the ABers take full advantage of this, allowing us more time to de-stress and do things outside of work that we enjoy. Hybrid working has provided a healthier work-life balance.
We also lean on the resources that are provided. For example, we are encouraged to take mental health days if we’re not feeling great. We’re also give a ‘Curiosity Day’ each year which allows us to have a paid day off work to try out a new activity. Engaging in these self-care practices can help to improve the environment in which we work by boosting morale and promoting overall wellbeing.
Also, to help manage the conflicting workloads, we have dedicated individuals who make sure that everyone is the business is happy. This includes our wellbeing group and five fully trained Mental Health First Aiders to support the mental health and wellbeing of our team and ensure that no one is struggling in silence.
3. Organisation
Organisation is key to reducing stress and increasing productivity, which in turn benefits our mental health.
We manage this as a team by having weekly cross-functional meetings, where we discuss tasks and ensure each team member is fully equipped and supported to complete their tasks. After these sessions, we make any required adjustments as needed to ensure each member can complete projects effectively.
An organised plan and set of goals allows us to feel more in control and less overwhelmed or stressed. This allows our team to have better focus and a greater sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Marketing is also an industry that is prone to crises – being organised can help us be prepared for anything that’s thrown our way, helping to reduce stress and panic.
Want to learn more about life at AB?
Find out more about our approach to culture and wellbeing by visiting our careers page.