Mental health shouldn’t be a taboo topic anymore, especially in the workplace. When an employee experiences mental health issues that reduce their focus and affect their performance, the business will be jeopardized as well.
Mental Health as Explained by the World Health Organization
According to the World Health Organization, Mental health enables individuals to cope with stress, recognize their abilities, learn and work fantastically, and contribute to society. Moreover, mental health varies from the level of difficulty and distress.
WHO also mentioned that mental health issues are caused by “exposure to unfavorable social, economic, geopolitical, and environmental causes.” Poverty, violence, inequality, and environmental deprivation are also factors that affect a person’s mental health.
Mind Matters in a Workplace
Let’s face it: our resume says, “can work well under pressure,” but too much pressure is already dangerous for our mental health. Different factors affect an employee’s mental health, such as “repetitive tasks, no sense of teamwork, discrimination, favoritism, and harassment or bullying.” Yes, even adults experience harassment or bullying; it’s not limited to the four walls of a classroom.
So why does employee mental health matter? Positive mental health equals the success and longevity of a business. In a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with depression can find it hard to complete their tasks, thus affecting their overall operation.
Role of the Company in Employee’s Mental Health
The Mental Health Foundation urges employers to create a checklist for a better and mentally healthy workplace.
- Develop an approach to mental health in a work setting that helps improve employee’s mental health.
- Leaders and managers should implement mental health programs.
- Review how you run your business and examine the working culture. Assess how it affects the employees mentally.
- Conduct regular surveys about mental health and research to create a plan to improve mental health at work.
How Can Employees Protect Their Mental Health?
You are so drowned in your work that you don’t even notice you are becoming overwhelmed and stressed. Is there a way to protect yourself? The Mental Health Commission of Canada says that there are ways employees can protect their mental health.
- Attend mental health training.
- Be aware of the signs of stress that’s building up
- Take a mental health day
- Meditate, exercise, do yoga, and more
- Nourish yourself with a balanced nutrition
- Step outside and walk
- Get enough sleep if you can.
- Create positive relationships with your workmates and even managers.
- Ask for feedback in terms of work performance.
- Seek professional help for physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, migraines, etc.
Mental Health is no longer a subject we can just tuck away and ignore. It is about time to openly talk about it to better plan for strategies that can help with mental health stress. Employers and employees must address stress-related issues in a work setting to succeed in performance and help the business or company grow.
