Why to Support Mental Health at Workplace
We all have times when life gets on top of us — sometimes it’s work-related, such as deadlines or travel. Sometimes it’s something else — our health, our relationships, or our circumstances.
Starting with a shocking statistics which I actually collected from World Health Organization. Internationally, an approximate of 264 million people is suffering from depression and anxiety!! And, it costs the global economy of USD 1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
We all have times when life gets on top of us — sometimes it’s work-related, such as deadlines or travel. Sometimes it’s something else — our health, our relationships, or our circumstances. For me, work is a major part of my life. It is where I spend most of my times, where I get my income and often where I make friends. Having a fulfilling job can be good for mental health and general well being. But it’s always not the same. It can fluctuate as circumstances change and as you move through different stages in life.
Researchers from Cornell University once threw a question when conducting a research about “Positive Affect on Decision Making in Complex Situations”
“Can mood actually dictate performance? Can a feeling, more than just knowledge and training, change how your brain problem-solves at work?”
Then they decided to put it on test in one of the world’s most high-stress job — the medical field. They made 2 group of medical professionals and handed one group a bag of candy, while another group received nothing. The group that received the candy were found to more accurately — and more quickly — diagnose patients than the group that had not received any candy. In fact, they were able to put together the signs and symptoms that pointed to advanced liver disease than their peers in the study — a finding with big implications for medical professionals and patients alike. This faster problem-solving and increased processing, or “the positive effect”, has implications for more than just the medical field.
Managers aren’t strangers to the stress of running businesses and teams. All of us have our good and bad days at work. Life happens, and employees aren’t always going to feel their best every hour of every shift. In many cases, you may not be aware of what’s happening to all of your employees outside of work, and what they bring in to their shift with them each day.
But as the research shows, your employees’ well-being and how they’re feeling at work plays a vital role in their performance. Being in a positive mood can actually change how our brains work — for the better.
Put simply, how good you feel impacts on how well you work. And that “how you feel” has a name: Mental Health.
A personal workplace survey found that:
- Near about 32% of adults who had taken a day off work because of a mental health problem reported lying about why they were out of the office.
- 50% aren’t comfortable telling their bosses if they were diagnosed with a mental health issue.
- Just 18% believe their manager would be supportive of workers battling mental disorders, as they feared their employers wouldn’t take them seriously.
But if you enjoy good mental health, you can:
- make the most of your potential
- cope with what life throws at you
- play a full part in your relationships, your workplace, and your community.
RISK FACTORS
Most risks relate to interactions between type of work, the organizational and managerial environment, the skills and competencies of employees, and the support available for employees to carry out their work. For example, a person may have the skills to complete tasks, but they may have too few resources to do what is required, or there may be unsupportive managerial or organizational practices.
Risks to mental health include:
- inadequate health and safety policies;
- poor communication and management practices;
- limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work;
- low levels of support for employees;
- inflexible working hours; and
- unclear tasks or organizational objectives.
Bullying and psychological harassment (also known as “mobbing”) are commonly reported causes of work-related stress by workers and present risks to the health of workers. They are associated with both psychological and physical problems. These health consequences can have costs for employers in terms of reduced productivity and increased staff turnover. They can also have a negative impact on family and social interactions.
WHY PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
Awareness of mental health is increasing, but we still face a world where people with mental health problems face discrimination, and can face challenges getting the help they need. Many people who experience distress try to keep their feelings hidden because they are afraid of other people’s responses.
Fear of discrimination and feelings of shame are among the top reasons people give for not telling their colleagues about their mental health problems.
When we create workplace cultures where people can be themselves, it is easier for people to speak about mental health concerns without fear, and easier for them to reach out for help when they need it. Even so, the decision to disclose distress at work is not one people take lightly. It is vital that workplaces become environments where people feel safe to be themselves.
HOW TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK
Talking about mental health at work can feel personally intimidating. As a manager, it’s important to know how your team is feeling. Research shows that only about half of all employees are highly satisfied with their direct supervisors and that poor communication, lack of knowledge, and limited employee interaction is harming supervisor-employee relationships.
Instead, just having meaningful conversations with employees can boost your bottom line and lead to better employee engagement. In some cases, it can even lead to lower health care costs and decreased employee absences. It’s about creating a positive company culture where employees feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and feel confident and supported when they raise issues impacting performance with their managers.
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
When it comes to employee well-being, the emotional rating system is just a first step in starting the conversation about mental health at work and creating a more supportive workplace culture. There are many great (and inexpensive) ways to make wellness a team effort and help your employees find some balance, particularly during busy seasons.
The more conversations you have, the more you can start to recognize and build on strategies to help your team work better. Make mental health awareness part of how you do business and make it visible. Update your employee attendance policy to address mental health or add one “no questions asked” sick day so that employees don’t feel embarrassed to say they need time off for mental health reasons. Participate in mental health first aid training. Or, take your own mental health day and be honest with your team about why you need the time.
A positive company culture starts at the top, and proving you’re focused on employees’ well-being and open to hard conversations can go a long way in setting an example for other employees to do the same. As a manager, you aren’t immune to stress and burnout, and being willing to show that you’re human and open about your own struggles can make a lasting positive impact on your team and business to come.
Article 27 of The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides a legally-binding global framework for promoting the rights of people with disabilities (including psychosocial disabilities).
It recognizes that every person with a disability has the right to work, should be treated equally and not be discriminated against, and should be provided with support in the workplace.
GIVE A KICK-START TO YOUR DAY
For the ultimate satisfaction in your daily productivity, the best way to do it is starting your day on a good note. If you might know, a good morning leads to a better night. Or, if something goes wrong at the start off your day, you can simply switch-off from that mode before starting your work. Psychologists have given a gem of an advice for everyone who cannot escape negativity; and that is —
‘Fake it till you make it’!
If you really don’t have any other option left, just keep on going without letting things affect work; and just like the change in waves, your mood is definitely going to be on the upward spiral soon.
