Your Work Wellness Toolkit: Mindset tips, journaling and rituals to help you thrive

by Ellen M. Bard

An interactive journal showing the reader how to feel better at work, be more productive, more positive, more resilient. The book is illustrated throughout with interactive activities, journal prompts and a structured programme of self-care for the workplace.

Burnout is described by the WHO as: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from your job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to your job; reduced professional efficacy. All of these things can be prevented with conscious attention to creating better workplace habits, rituals and routines. Your Work Wellness Toolkit will present guidance to curate your own wellness plan to thrive at work.
Too many of us are struggling with managing the mental health load of working remotely, and boundaries between work and life are more blurred than ever before. This book not only offers thorough and clinically backed-up guidance, but also space to make plans and accountability within that guidance, to put it into action.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 2022

About the author

British-born psychologist Ellen Bard is the author of The Energetics, a paranormal romance series where fate, magic and passion collide.

Ellen’s love for storytelling is matched only by her fascination with human behavior and the mysteries of the mind, making her the perfect guide through the tangled worlds of her characters. When she’s not crafting magical romances, she indulges her passions for travel, coffee, and seeking her next adventure. Whether riding a motorbike, Krav Maga classes, or immersing herself in tantric yoga, she’s always chasing inspiration.

Ellen lives with her family in Bangkok, Thailand, and her books reflect her belief in the transformative power of love and personal growth—to heal, evolve, and conquer any challenge, no matter how supernatural.

Reviews

[Lucy-Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting little book, full of practical exercises & things to ponder in relation to the workplace & your attitudes to work with helpful tips on time management, managing stress and handling change. Written by a psychologist, the little exercises get you thinking and reflecting on what changes you could make & focus on work-life balance rather than constant productivity.
It is an accessible read, and I am sure it will be useful for many people who have transitioned to working from home rather than in an office, those returning to a new/different workplace following the pandemic, or who are entering “office work” for the first time. It is very focussed on those working in an office/desk-based job and people working in less conventional or more reactive/service based jobs may not get so much from it. As such, much of it didn’t really work for me – I am not in the sort of environment where I can listen to music to help me focus, or where I can fully plan my days as things happen that must take priority.
It doesn’t work so well as an e-book, but the paper version is definitely appealing though it feels targeted at a female audience with the cute, rather feminine style

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that seems superficial and a bit trite till you start applying the principles and you realise that psychologist Ellen Bard knows of what she speaks. There are loads of tips in this book that can be used immediately with little effort or preparation but they will make a difference.

The number of people suffering with anxiety and burnout is increasing. This book will help.

Some simple but very useful ideas here include being absolutely clear about when something is finished. Are you certain what your project is due to deliver? How will you know it is complete?

We need to factor in ‘deciding time’ so that part of our day is spent properly planning rather than just getting on with it. This is my problem. I’d save time and effort if I just pressed pause now and again.

We are prepared to share more and be more vulnerable if we are sitting side by side rather than facing each other across a table. We also take feedback better.

This is a quick read but I think you’ll return to it as there is much wisdom in these pages.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really rather enjoyed this book from the first page.

It is my sort of book, set out in a really practical way.

There are 10 chapters and each chapter has 10 points.

The chapters are:

Physical Environment
Mindset
Working from Home
Doing the Hard Stuff
Productivity and Focus
Breaks
Time Management
Work Relationships
Development and Growth
Handling Change
One thing that I knew would appeal to me is the practical exercises. There are thought provoking questions. You can spend some time noting the way that you approach work and take practical action.

As someone who has been working from home as a result of the covid pandemic I believed that this book would be beneficial.

Bard recommends that you look at the ideas and implement as you see fit.

I am very grateful that I was given the opportunity to read and review this book. There are most definitely some areas that I will be working on to ensure that I prioritise my self care in order to bring my best self to work.

[AnnieM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your Work Wellness Toolkit is a very timely resource! I currently work from home but am about to return to the physical office for part of the workweek soon. Bard offers plenty of great tools, reflections and resources to help support our work wellness. She shares reflections and tools, that consider both physical environment to mindset and relationships with other people. One of the rituals I have found particularly helpful is "Return to Neutral" - at the end of each work day returning your desk to a "resting state" as well as rituals to ground ourselves at the start and end of work. This helps me close my day and separate work-time from home-time. Another section addresses burn-out and when you aren't enjoying your work with some really great reflection questions about actions we can take.

I recommend this very readable and actionable toolkit!

[Kimberly Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Work Wellness Toolkit by Ellen Bard is an interactive journal that can be used to assist in combating fatigue and burn out with work duties and responsibilities. It is divided into 100 different tools that you can utilize to improve your work situation. The tips focus on many different areas including: physical environment, mindset, working from home, doing the hard stuff, productivity an focus, breaks, time management, work relationships, development and growth, and handling change. There is a tip, strategy, and focus for everyone working in this book. The strategies are easy to implement and quite helpful. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Eleanor Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was GREAT!

I loved the style that each page or so was a new number from 1-100, briefly explaining the theory and context, before always providing a practical exercise to undertake.

The book is full of questions to reflect on, journalling to do, emails to send, things to try, etc.

The book is full of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) which I recognise, but also full of new techniques that I am yet to develop.

Having read this before returning to work after a Christmas break, it was the perfect way to make it seem a little less daunting.

I am definitely going to take away a lot from this book, and would recommend it to all!

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Work Wellness Toolkit is a very clearly set out and organised book to help you enhance your working life. It's divided into 100 exercises for the reader to work through at their own pace and in the order that suits them with the goal of improving the working situation. There are many areas covered, from the practical (Set Your Desk Up Right (#1)), through the personal (Imposter Syndrome: Create a Confidence Ritual (#35)) to the technical (Pull The Plug (#42)). These exercises offer help and support in nurturing your work well-being and the book itself can be used as a handy journal to chart your progress. A very useful and informative book which I'd highly recommend.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this so much and found it so helpful, I’ve been suffering depression and anxiety like a lot of people and am also an essential worker, so this has been a wonderful tool for me to use to adapt to a new normal and changes. I particularly like the help with handling change. The book itself is appealing and well designed, I definitely recommend this for anyone returning to office, or as in my case coping with others returning alongside you.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Alex Rosenbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat down and took notes as I just started a new job and got a new office ☺️ I find that with a huge volume of tasks that I’m learning how to do for the first time- getting overwhelmed at work is a lot easier. I want to find ways to making my environment more relaxing and find strategies to best maximize my time. I find that some of these techniques I’ve already embedded into my daily work practices but some were a great penny for thought! Broken up nicely and ADHD friendly! Would give a 3.5 if I could.

[Carlene Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to keep and dip into for tips to help keep your mental health on an even keel while at work. At a time when post pandemic stresses are still prevalent in so many work places this book should be made available to all staff, especially managers. As a manager myself I will be using this book to help support my staff.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I found that doing the prompts and developing habits was helpful. Even for things like posting for my blog. It was something I could do quickly even on days that I was busy. That is something that made it easy to stick to. I will continue to go back to this book from time to time. Especially if I have to get back on track again.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed working my way through this wellness toolkit. It is as the title says, giving exercises for you to apply in your day to day job. Will apply to most areas of work and helpful in building some structure into your work day when things are overwhelming and stressful.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book, lots of helpful advice, would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

[Water Viper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice book even though I'm disabled. I found some very useful tips for implementation in my own life.