Across the world, mental health of employees has become an important issue, especially in the United States, compelling even the US government to design and implement labor laws to deal with it. The latest statistics show that every third American is facing mental health issues. A study showed that almost 70% of adults have at least one symptom of a mental disorder like stress, anxiety, and depression.
What Is Mental Health?
A person is in a mental health condition when they can deal with everyday challenges, and understand their strengths and weaknesses.
A crucial aspect of overall health is mental health, just as physical and social well-being.
Reasons Behind Negative Mental Health:
There are many reasons to be stressed out right now. Modern people are exposed to mental health triggers for family issues, relationship complexities, news on the TV, cell phone alerts, skimming the headlines, newspaper headlines, or scrolling through social media posts.
Most people take this stress to the workplace because it is beyond their control. That's why employee mental health needs to be a major priority for firms making it possible to hire workers those are high-performing on daily basis.
Relationship Between Mental Health and The Workplace:
A person’s overall health and welfare might be significantly impacted by their job. Their career can enrich their lives by giving them meaning, structure, and purpose in addition to monetary rewards. Also, it can give them an identity the society, boost their self-confidence, and serve as an essential social outlet.
On the other hand, working in a toxic workplace might have the opposite impact and severely harm your emotional well-being. Workplace harassment, understaffing, long hours, and other factors can increase stress levels and worsen mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and substance addiction. The pandemic and significant changes in our working habits over the past few years have only worsened these issues. For example, many of us have spent months adjusting to the new pressures of working remotely, only to now re-adapt to commuting and working onsite once more. We now feel anxious, unhappy, and concerned about the future and how we spend our days due to it.
There exists a direct relationship between the workplace and the mental health of the employees. Job performance and productivity can be impacted by both the workplace environment and mental health. In fact, according to current estimates, the global economy suffers almost $1 trillion annual loss in productivity due to mental health difficulties, absenteeism, and worker turnover.
Signs of a Mental Health Issue at Work:
Now and then, everyone has a bad work day where nothing seems to go right. The workers can find it difficult to concentrate, feel extremely anxious, agitated, or unappreciated, or lack the energy and drive to finish even the simplest work. But if they consistently feel this way, it may be a sign that something is amiss.
Many mental health issues might eventually consume the workers with time. It is possible to grow accustomed to experiencing stress, worry, and melancholy at work to the point that it becomes "normal." But ignoring a problem's early warning signs won't make it go away; instead, it will only worsen over time, leaving them more susceptible to illnesses and other health issues. This leads to burnout and impairs their ability to perform well at work, form meaningful relationships, and lead fulfilling lives.
How To Deal with Mental Health Problems at Work?
According to recent polls, 72-75% of US citizens suffer symptoms of stress each year, while one in five adults report having a mental health issue. Even if most individuals never ask for assistance, there are things they can do to start feeling better in a job they don't like for any reason.
The first important step for better mental health at your workplace is to learn how to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. It is important to help yourself before you ask anyone for help. Utilizing personal or sick days or taking some vacation time when you're feeling pressured and overburdened by work responsibilities will help you recharge and prevent burnout. You will need more time off if you suffer from a chronic mental health condition like depression or anxiety, though.
No matter how much workaholic you are, it is important to put your friends and family first and to prioritize taking the time to unwind, rejuvenate, and have fun. Instead of being available to answer calls from work, respond to emails, or respond to other communications. Always working leads to severe mental problems.
Talk To Your Immediate Boss About Your Mental Health at The Workplace:
If your mental health is affecting how well you perform at work, you might decide that it’s time to speak with your employer—especially if the issue is your workplace environment. However, it makes sense that many of us are reluctant to open up to others about our mental health, especially our managers or bosses. You can worry that people will evaluate you poorly, your reputation, or your career will suffer. Never let this fear stop you from taking action.
Companies lose billions of dollars annually due to mental health and substance addiction. Therefore, it is in your employer’s best interest to listen and act whenever possible to improve the workplace.
Choose the right time, and if your coworkers are also experiencing a toxic workplace environment, talking to your employer as a group will strengthen your argument.
Final thoughts!
Every individual has the right to work, and every employee has the right to an atmosphere that is both secure and healthful. Mental health issues at work can be avoided. A lot can be done to safeguard and promote mental health.
The US government is amended with laws to encourage mental health in the workplace. Workplace wellness helps people to deal with stress at work place. The modern companies can minimize multiple expenses spend on healthcare of employees by responding to daily mental health issues at workplace.