Work can actually protect your mental health. It not only provides a livelihood but also gives:
- a sense of purpose
- a routine to follow
- a confidence boost
But sometimes, it can have a negative impact on mental health. In this blog, we will explore the complex relationship between work and mental health.
The Link Between Work and Mental Health
Work has a significant impact on your mental well-being. Apart from the financial advantages, employment contributes significance, organisation and direction to your life. It also gives you a feeling of self, improves your self-worth and serves as a vital social outlet.
However, working in an unfavourable atmosphere may have the opposite effect and negatively impact your mental well-being. Workplace harassment, understaffing, long hours and a lack of assistance can increase stress and lead to mental health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic and the significant changes in our work patterns over the past few years have only worsened these issues.
Just as work affects mental health, mental well-being also impacts work, affecting productivity and job performance. However, many aspects of our work environment are still beyond our control.
Those in higher positions shape the workplace atmosphere, and we often feel powerless to speak up for fear of being judged or jeopardising our employment.
But there are things you can do to look after yourself and safeguard your mental well-being, regardless of whether your mental health problems are brought on by your job or originate from somewhere else and are impairing your performance there.
Poor Mental Health Signs and Symptoms at Work
Even though the signs and symptoms of mental health issues can differ significantly depending on the illness and the individual, it’s crucial to pay attention to any changes in your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It could be time to get treatment if you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself or a coworker. Here are some of the common signs and symptoms:
- Decline in performance at work: Feeling low and needing help carrying out your regular tasks at work (at home or in your social life).
- Difficulty thinking and focusing: Problem with concentrating, remembering things, thinking clearly or even speaking consistently.
- Changes in sleeping and eating habits: Trouble sleeping, altering eating habits suddenly or becoming dependent on alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism.
- Alterations in your emotional state: Suffering from unusual mood swings, hopelessness, helplessness, jitters or even suicidal thoughts.
- Decreased activities: No longer enjoying once-loved hobbies, losing interest in previously cherished portions of your profession or distancing yourself from social interactions and connections.
- Anxiety or fear: Experiencing abrupt anxiety and terror in specific settings or becoming too sceptical of others in social or professional contexts.
- Heightened awareness: Avoiding circumstances that are too exciting since you are more perceptive to sights and noises.
- Unusual actions: Feeling disconnected from your environment, behaving oddly, out of character or uncontrollably or seeing or hearing unreal things.
- Unexplained discomforts: Experiencing discomfort such as headaches, stomach aches or muscle aches suddenly or regularly.
Factors Leading to Poor Workplace Mental Health
- Ineffective management and communication
Poor management and communication lead to interpersonal tension and increased stress at work, which may lead to mental health issues.
- Low Levels of Employee Support
When managers fail to remove barriers or provide resources to staff members, it can lead to demotivation. For example, managers should show staff members how to do jobs they need clarification on rather than assuming they will figure it out independently and be ready to answer inquiries.
- Pressure to Perform
When employees are under unjustified pressure to perform at their highest levels, the results are increased stress, longer workdays and mental exhaustion.
- Workplace instability
The anxiety associated with not having enough money to support one’s family or pay expenses poses a severe risk to one’s mental health.
Promoting Mental Health in The Workplace
The key to promoting employees’ mental well-being is implementing proactive strategies that support individuals in maintaining and improving mental health. Both employers and employees are responsible for supporting mental health at work.
Role as an Employer:
Offering resources for those in need of assistance is the most important thing a company can do. In light of legislative developments like the Adult Survivors Act, it’s also essential for employers to recognize the potential impact of trauma on employees and ensure they have access to appropriate mental health support.
Although most employees only require support and not therapeutic therapy, it is essential to provide professional treatments to those suffering from mental illnesses.
Employees commonly require assistance with coping mechanisms, stress management and resilience development during difficult times, and employers should help them in this regard.
The following tactics can be used by employers to encourage mental health at work:
- Employers should support Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) to help staff members with issues that affect their well-being or job performance, whether personal or work-related.
- Midday breaks allow employees to rest and relax. Employers should encourage these breaks to prevent employees from becoming exhausted and improve their productivity.
- Employers should provide mental health awareness training for employees to help them recognise mental health issues in themselves and their colleagues and enable them to support themselves and others.
Role as an Employee:
Employees also have an important role in promoting mental health in the workplace. Employees can utilise the following tactics to support mental health at work:
- Employees should know how to manage their well-being by using resources such as EAPs, undertaking mental health courses for employees and seeking professional help when needed.
- Employees should show empathy towards their colleagues who are experiencing mental health challenges.
- When possible, employees should engage in open conversations about their mental health to reduce the stigma associated with it.
Conclusion:
Organisations should never overlook their employees’ mental health, as it directly impacts their productivity and the organisation’s success. Employers should create a workplace culture that acknowledges employees’ mental health and adequately supports those who need assistance.
