We know that work can be stressful and can cause some anxiety for some employees. However, for many workers with mental health issues, it can quickly turn into a larger elephant affecting their role and performance.
Mental health affects everyone, including me. Being a founder of a company and an executive since the age of 23 has never been a stress-free ride. Although I love the thing I do, there's rarely success without a sacrifice, and this often leads to burnout, tension, and anxiety. Through my own personal journey, I've learned a lot about the significance of mental health in the workplace and how to take care of myself when there was very little instruction on how to do so.
A workplace overhaul has been slated for a long time, and at this time of change, there's a chance to do so. Whether you're a business leader trying to create a safe space to support mental health, or an employee looking for ways to cope, I'll offer my own experience to help guide you through these challenging times.
The Covid pandemic revealed the need for mental health support in the workplace:
The sudden shift towards remote working has been a wake-up call for workforces and businesses alike. Business leaders faced the fact that their employees are actually real human beings. They have spouses, children, and issues to deal with when they're off the clock. This insight laid bare all the situations and issues that employees were dealing with outside of work. Nine out of 10 employees reported that workplace stress affects their mental health. If we add to this the stress of everyday situations and issues, we find that businesses will suddenly trip over a much bigger problem than they thought. Even while working remotely; however, leaders practiced strict procedures, including working from 9 am to 5 pm, five days a week with limited breaks and little room to maneuver to take time off, even when their employees had their work and life clash like never before.
Employees feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, and while there's no one-size-fits-all solution, one way employers can help support mental health is by providing flexibility. Thanks to flexible schedules, employees are able to work at times that work best for them, freeing up time to take care of themselves and their families, and reducing stressful work situations.
In a 2020 study, 84% of people with mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression indicated that a flexible job could help them better manage their illness. Flexibility is step one towards psychosocial support in the workplace, and businesses that haven't already realized its value will need to catch up. Otherwise, their ability to retain employees will lose ground.
Anxiety affects workers and leaders alike:
Workers are not the only ones dealing with stress. Leadership, sometimes due to a lack of support, struggles just the same, as 64% of senior business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions, including anxiety, stress, and depression. My personal journey as a leader has been marked by anxiety many times. From experience, I can say that struggling as a leader is like pulling teeth, especially when you also need to focus on taking care of your employees as well as your own suffering. However, at these times we need to acknowledge our vulnerabilities, not only with ourselves, but with our team as well.
Mental health issues can strike at any time, not just because of the pandemic. Stress and anxiety can affect anyone starting with simple work tasks to discovering conflict in the workplace. To best support both employees and leaders in their endeavors, the simplest way is to talk about it. But for decades, discussing any type of mental health issue with co-workers was a taboo. Now that employees have a peek into each other's lives through remote work, there's a deeper understanding of each other's lives, as well as a chance to express vulnerability.
Encouraging conversations about mental health can be scary, but they don't have to be very deep at the beginning. So, as a leader, try to hold face-to-face meetings with your team to ask them how they're doing, not just in work, but also in life as a whole, determine where you can best support them. Employees can also talk to their teammates, and open up about their struggles. It can be hard to tell your boss or supervisor that you're having a hard time at work, so you can start by writing a simple text to help guide the conversation. Most of all, be honest, so they might be able to help you in ways you can't imagine.
How can professional staff support themselves?
Taking care of your mental health isn't a piece of cake. Unfortunately, there's no step-by-step process or solution that works for everyone, but there are steps you can take to help support yourself and make sure that you're doing your best to prevent any additional anxiety from building up and becoming overstressed.
Setting boundaries is half the battle when establishing a healthier life, especially when it comes to work. I used to work late nights and even on weekends just to try to finish projects early, then I started setting limits for working hours to spend time with my family instead of another task. I was spending quality time with them after a long day, and although I still set boundaries that regulate work, it helped me a great deal. So, find comfort with your colleagues. Although there are clear boundaries that prevent you from exaggerating what's chewing at your insides, you'll be surprised that many of them are struggling with similar problems.
Winding it Up:
If your role or career path isn't supportive of your mental health, it's probably time to find a new job. Recent studies found that employees with flexibility and work-from-home options are 87% more likely to love their jobs. As the pressure continues for flexibility and remote work options in the workplace, more businesses are shifting to flexible schedules and putting the wellness of their employees at the forefront of their principles.
Whether you're a CEO or an employee, you're not alone in the struggle with mental health issues at work. The difficulties you face in your work and life may leave you feeling frustrated, but there are ways to start a conversation with your colleagues and provide support by leaning on each other when you have it rough.
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