Mental health wellness in the workplace is a big topic.
Managing and promoting mental health in the workplace is not easy. Mental illness statistics reveal that more people are suffering from mental disorders. Additionally, mental illnesses have a stigma. This stigma has negatively labeled people with mental disorders for a long time. Yet, trying to fight the stigma and seeking help people, are admitting their mental disabilities. Additionally, most people who attempt or commit suicide suffer from underlying mental dysfunction.
Why is workplace mental health important? People are at times happy when they are at work. But, at other times they are sad because they are at work. The workplace atmosphere can affect the emotions of employees.
How to identify mental health issues in the workplace? Employers must know what causes employees to exhibit mental health dysfunction. They must know some mental health disorder triggers that may impact their office. A workplace should have good management and leadership practices. This will help employers to identify mental health issues in the workplace
Causes of Workplace Mental Health Issues
Various factors can lead to mental health breakdown at work. It can be as simple as being anxious about receiving feedback on your work performance. Other factors that prompt mental health breakdown at the office include:
- Heavy Workload
- Toxic Workplace Culture
- Poor Communication
- Bad Management Practices
- Workplace Financial Concerns
- Personal Challenges
Heavy Workload
You may be working in an environment where the company has no procedure to combat heavy workloads. Heavy workloads will influence the health of employees.
Employees with heavy workloads may put in extra hours and have extraordinary deadlines to meet. Long hours and tight work schedules they put in at work can lead to health problems.
A heavy workload takes its toll on moods, making employees feel irritated. It may lead to overworked employees. Employees may feel tension due to their workload and burnout. They may lack the time they need to de-stress and relax. If offices do not balance workload, staff may experience mental health difficulties.
Toxic Workplace Culture
Some people are not positive because they work in a hostile work environment. The toxic culture in a workplace can cause serious mental health issues. A toxic work environment thrives on negativity.
A workforce that has a negative office culture may lead to quarrels. Dissatisfaction is a natural response for people who feel discounted or ignored by their boss (or peers). A toxic environment in a workplace makes employees unhappy.
As a result, staff may go down an unproductive path. If an office continues to lean towards toxicity, it is a mental health disaster for most persons involved.
Poor Communication
Management’s poor communication practices cause workplace mental health issues. Poor communication in the workplace has links to depression and anxiety.
Misunderstandings and bad choices of words challenge positive workplace mental wellbeing. If a boss yells at their employee, the employee could feel bad about themselves.
Negative communication practices cause employees to lose their confidence. Lack of confidence may spur mental wellness issues. Poor communication between colleagues can also cause stress and conflict in the office.
Bad Management Practices
Bad management practices lead employees into depression and anxiety over time. This could also ultimately lead them towards quitting their job. In other cases, it can cause conflicts and discord.
Even, worse, it can cause individuals to have suicidal thoughts. Since they are unhappy with what is happening at work. Bad management practices include short deadlines for big projects. Management’s inefficiency at managing diversity, teams, and resolving conflict.
Employers must display strategic business management skills and qualities. This includes having and displaying good leadership qualities. Leading the workforce with emotional intelligence and thought leadership. If employers overlook doing so, employees’ mental health will suffer.
Workplace Financial Concerns
Workplace stress is a cause for worrying about employees’ mental health. Financial concerns are a leading cause of employee mental health issues. Money worries in the workplace include bad credit, debt, loss, overspending, and cutbacks.
People like to know that the finances in their place of employment are secure. It will worry employees if the place that employs them has financial struggles. Any form of workplace financial stress, whether real or perceived, will impact staff.
If a company is experiencing financial woes, employees will worry. This is a natural reaction as the financial woes of the company will in turn affect each employee. They are likely to develop anxiety-related symptoms more than those without financial concerns.
Personal Challenges
There are a lot of different mental illnesses linked to stress in the workplace. These include depression, anxiety, and psychoses. It also has links to suicidal thoughts and actions. Employees have problems in their private lives and personal circumstances.
Personal challenges are one of the big stressors for employees. It is an external factor that affects the health of those in the workforce. Personal issues and setbacks can increase a person’s stress level. Stressed persons are more likely to show symptoms of mental illness.
Employees may deal with a personal crisis. It will impact their mental well-being while at work. Personal challenges may be an employee’s financial issues or physical sickness or disability. It may be family and relationship issues, illnesses or the death of a family member or friend, and more.
Closing: How to Handle Mental Health in the Workplace?
Recognize that employees may have mental health issues. These mental disorders include stress, depression, and anxiety. It is important to take these issues seriously and not push them under the rug. An employee’s mental health influences their productivity and their work-life balance.
How to deal with an employee who has mental health issues? Companies must acknowledge that their workforce may have wellness difficulties. Emotional intelligence tells us that employees want their employers’ care and kindness.
If you notice that an employee is not acting normal, or they seem distressed, it is a good idea to talk to them about it. You can provide resources for them on your company’s website or offer a referral with a therapist in your area. Health and safety policies must include ways to deal with workplace mental issues. With an emphasis on promoting positive mental health and stability for employees.
It is essential that you make sure they are doing well, and also make sure they know that the company cares about their well-being as much as any other employees’ well-being.
