6 minute read
Mental health in
By Jamie Farr MENTAL HEALTH IN BUSINESS
Work, for many of us, is a major part of our lives. It is where we spend much of our time, where we get our income from, and often where we make our friends. Having a fulfilling job can be great for your mental health and general wellbeing.
We all have times when life gets busy. Sometimes, that’s work-related, like deadlines or travel. Sometimes, it’s something else: our health, our relationships, or our circumstances. A toxic work environment can be corrosive to our mental health. We believe in workplaces where everyone can thrive. We also believe in the role of employers, employees, and businesses in creating thriving communities.
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 can increase productivity by as much as 12%.1
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,2 which represents 12.1% of the UK’s total GDP. 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.
There are many things that can instigate poor mental health, and stress is the most common factor. Research has found that stress is the main cause of mental health problems in the workplace. Is stress the cause of problems or the result of them? It is difficult to determine, but what we do know is that stress is the precursor to feelings of depression, feelings of anxiousness, addictions, OCD, and mental breakdowns.
Stress is the body being out of balance. It is a part of everyday life and since we cannot eliminate it, learning how to recognise the signs of stress overload and boosting our ability to handle stressful situations is now more important than ever.
Here’s a really simple definition:
“The reaction of the body and mind, to everyday challenges and demands.”
• 602,000 workers3 suffered from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2018/2019. • 12.8 million3 working days were lost due to workrelated stress, depression, or anxiety 2018/2019. • On average, each person suffering from depression or anxiety took 21.2 days4 off work during the year. • The main cause of work-related stress and anxiety was due to people’s workload, accounting for 44% of all cases.4
Understanding stress and anxiety is the first step towards positive changes. Individuals can get a better understanding of their stress and anxiety levels through self-help methods such as the NHS Stress & Companion app, which helps people learn about and manage symptoms; it assists with healthier thinking and provides ways to manage stress and anxiety at work.
Good mental health and wellbeing is one of the most valuable assets to any organisation, and there are some steps, as an employer or manager, you can take to improve or establish a mental health culture within your workplace. • Develop a mental health action plan and policy • Provide mental health training • Adjust job roles to accommodate new responsibility for mental health awareness • Publicise your commitment to mental health • Evaluate possible causes of mental ill-health in the workplace and prioritise areas for improvement
What actions can you take to improve your mental health in the workplace? • Work on improving communication and relationships • Learn skills to be more self-confident • Develop work-related skills • Manage your personal wellbeing • Discover healthier thinking • Understand stress and anxiety
There have been a number of positive employer commitments since the Stevenson-Farmer review of 2017. This review was commissioned by the Prime Minister to look into how employers can better support all employees to remain in and thrive at work (including those with poor mental health or wellbeing). And there have also been major changes in work practices that have added to the challenge of maintaining mental health at work.
For many of us, working from home is the norm, and flexible working has so many advantages for both the individual and the organisation. However, ‘leavism’ (a term that describes the growing tendency of individuals to be unable to ‘switch off’ from work) is becoming increasingly common as working remotely and flexible working have become easier thanks to technology. This can lead to overworking, a reduction in workforce morale, and burnout.
Here are five top tips to ensure you maintain the balance. 1. Determine your working hours: when you will start, take a break, etc. Following a schedule will help you focus and keep you from procrastinating or overscheduling yourself.
JAMIE FARR FOUNDER, WELLBEING TRAINER & COACH YOURNORTH
2. Although it may be tempting to work from your bed or sofa, you will be more focused and productive working within a structured environment. Working at an uncluttered desk space, in a relatively quiet environment, will help with productivity. 3. While you are working from home, make sure you keep active and maintain a balanced diet as part of your everyday activities. 4. Rumours and myths flying around during these challenging times can fuel anxiety, therefore it’s important to have good quality information. Check out gov.uk and also your regional Public Health department; these are robust sources of advice. 5. Keep in contact with your work support network.
Also be mindful of how much time you’re spending on social media during your working day. If you know this is a problem for you, maybe delete apps so that you’re not going on your phone so much. If you have a laptop for answering work emails, perhaps make sure you don’t have access to these functions on your mobile, or vice versa.
Working from home can be lonely and isolating, but remember that you’re not alone. Know how to get in touch with your work and personal support network. If you are aware of challenges with your mental health, ensure you have a list of contacts you may need to hand.
The responsibilities of employers go beyond the first aid needs assessment when we put people first. The right thing to do is support people to thrive in work. Putting people above all else is the key to a productive and happy workplace – those that seek profit over people will soon see the rising cost of staff turnover, training, recruitment, and retention.
Richard Branson has been quoted to say,
About the author Jamie Farr Founder, Wellbeing Coach and Trainer YourNorth
www.yournorth.co.uk YourNorthUK YourNorth jamie-farr YourNorthUK
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Access to work Government funded scheme to support employers to make reasonable adjustments to work. www.gov.uk/access-to-work
Acas Conciliation service, providing briefings, training and support on conflict at work, discrimination, and dispute. www.acas.org.uk
Equality act and disability discrimination www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-andguidance
Deloitte mental health and employers www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consulting/ articles/mental-health-and-employersrefreshing-the-case-for-investment.html
Health and safety executive www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1819.pdf
Mental Health Foundation www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/h/humanrights-and-mental-health
1 www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-support-mental-health-work 2www.insightiapt.org/latest-updates/in-the-news/stress-awareness-month 3 www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1819.pdf 4 www.peoplefirst.nhsbt.nhs.uk/Wellbeing/stress.htm
