Mental Health and You
Today is WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY (10th October). Mental health is a very sensitive issue for many of us, for we don’t recognise the difference between ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’. I had not known the difference till few years back. I attended a workshop on the topic and was amazed at my lack of understanding of the subject. This prompted me to read more about it and I want to mark this special day by sharing some of my learnings with all of you.
Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has health. As the World Health Organization famously says, “There is no health without mental health.” In the course of a lifetime, not all people will experience a mental illness, but everyone will struggle or have a challenge with their mental well-being (i.e., their mental health) just like we all have challenges with our physical well-being from time to time.
What:
“a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being”
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is the way we think and feel and our ability to deal with ups and downs. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. When we enjoy good mental health, we have a sense of purpose and direction, the energy to do the things we want to do, and the ability to deal with the challenges that happen in our lives.
Why:
Talking about mental health has never been so relevant than currently, in the ever-changing world. We are living in an extremely dynamic and challenging environment. We are always connected on phone, emails, social media etc, this is creating a blur line between work and life.
Even commuting to the office is becoming a challenge with the increase in traffic day by day as a result of urbanisation and rapid changes in infrastructure. Our sedentary lives, lack of physical activity, long working hours, skipping lunch, sitting for many hours are creating more health challenges. The Macro-Economic environment is tough, pushing organisations to be more competitive, doing more with less. Companies continue to move towards globalisation, and some people in global roles work at odd hours.
We all are facing a similar paradox: there is a high demand and pressure to do more, with fewer resources and with challenges to reduce costs. Therefore, we need to find new ways of working, that are energizing, that allow people to unleash their potential, to be sustainably engaged and to make the most of their energy at work and at home.
There is increasing evidence that both the content and context of work can play a role in the development of mental health problems in the workplace. Key factors include:
- workload (both excessive and insufficient work);
- lack of participation and control in the workplace;
- monotonous or unpleasant tasks;
- role ambiguity or conflict;
- lack of recognition at work;
- inequity;
- poor interpersonal relationships;
- poor working conditions;
- poor leadership and communication;
- conflicting home and work demand
Impact:
The value-added to the economy by people who are at work and have or have had mental health problems is as high as £225 billion per year in the UK, which represents 12.1% of the total GDP (1). It's vital that we protect that value by addressing mental health at work for those with existing issues, for those at risk, and for the workforce as a whole.
We need to create a workplace where everyone can thrive and feel valued, included and give their full potential to the growth of the company and positive participation in creating a healthy and happy society. To create thriving community’s employers, employees and businesses need to play their role.
Employers can support employees with mental health problems in a number of ways, including providing flexible working arrangements, allowing a gradual return to work after time off or providing counseling or peer support services. Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12% (2).
Therefore, we need to find new ways of working, that are energizing, that allow people to unleash their potential, to be sustainably engaged and to make the most of their energy at work and at home.
Self-Care is the Key (Assets, Challenges & Goals):
We can all take steps to improve our own mental health and build our resilience – our ability to cope with adversity. Self-care is a skill that needs to be practised. It isn’t easy especially if we feel anxious, depressed or low in self-esteem.
Try looking through the ways to improve your mental health below.
- Talk about your feelings
- Getting physically active
- Eat Well
- Drink Sensibly
- Keep in touch
- Ask for help & helping others
- Take a break and enough sleep
- Do something you are good at
- Accept how you are
- Connecting with others
- Staying positive
- Developing coping skills
- Getting professional help if you need it
There’s bound to be one or two you do well. These can be your ASSETS – your go-to methods for working on your wellbeing.
Look for one or two you find hard. These can be your CHALLENGES. It may be that these areas are the ones you neglect under stress – for example drinking too much, isolating yourself or comfort eating, are all examples of ways we try and cope that are the opposite of what the evidence tells us works for our mental health.
Finally, look for one or two areas that you feel you could work on or try. These can be your GOALS. Your goals and challenges can be the same but it’s sometimes kinder to yourself to have some goals that you can meet more easily.
Don’t just take my word for it. Read about it and see what you can do to stay healthy!
References:
1. Mental Health Foundation. (2016). Added Value: Mental health as a workplace asset. Mental Health Foundation: London. Available online at www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ added value [Accessed 03/10/17]
2. Oswald, A.J., Proto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and Productivity. Journal of Labor Economics, 33 (4), 789- 822. doi: 10.1086/681096
3. UN World Health Organisation (WHO) - Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package
4. NHS
Senior Vice President Global Human Resources, AVEVA
5yWhat an inspiring post on such a poignant day. Mental health touches us all - some more than others. Thanks for sharing in such a thoughtful and insightful way.
Learning and Transformation Lead at Microsoft Switzerland and Microsoft Netherlands
5ySuch a great post! Thank you so much Basant for sharing.
Global Client Director, Luxury @LinkedIn
5yThank you Basant for the great post. Diversity & Inclusion is a hot topic for many companies globally but they don't always include Mental Health in their plan. Articles like this one do help!