World Mental Health Day: It is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace

Introduction: Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social, well-being. It is how we think, feel, and act. It helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Just like our physical health, it is important to all people at any age group. Mental illness are conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behaviour in a way that impairs their ability to relate to others and function each day. Example includes depression and schizophrenia. Poor mental health and mental illness is not the same thing. A person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, a person diagnosed with a mental illness can experience periods of good physical, mental, and social well-being. Mental and physical health is equally important components of overall health. Mental illness, especially depression, increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

Mental Health in the Workplace

Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are pervasive in workplaces globally, impacting productivity, attendance, and overall performance. Actions aimed at addressing mental health in the workplace should be done while meaningfully involving employees and their representatives, along with persons with lived experiences of mental health conditions. Mental health, the workplace and stress are three concepts that jointly come into play very often in lives of persons who are in employment, and which are highly interlinked.“Work-related stress” is when we are faced with work pressures that do not match our knowledge and abilities and that challenge our ability to cope. Managing workplace stress is a very important part of creating a mentally healthy workplace. While stress at work is inevitable, it does not need to make employees sick, and it can be managed effectively.

Work-related Stress

Work-related stress is a growing problem around the world that affects not only the health and wellbeing of employees, but also the productivity of organisations. Work-related stress arises where work demands of various types and combinations exceed the person’s capacity and capability to cope. It can be caused by various events. For example, a person might feel under pressure if the demands of their job (such as hours or responsibilities) are greater than they can comfortably manage. Other sources of work-related stress include conflict with co-workers or bosses, constant change, and threats to job security, such as potential redundancy.

According to the National Health and Safety Commission, work-related stress accounts for the longest stretches of absenteeism. What one person may perceive as stressful, however, another may view as challenging. Whether a person experiences work-related stress depends on the job, the person’s psychological make-up, and other factors (such as personal life and general health).

Conclusion: Workplace stress is highly personal. Some people thrive in fast-paced jobs, such as emergency room nurses, police officers, and air-traffic controllers. These are stressful jobs where making a mistake can put people’s lives at risk. The rest of us likely wouldn’t last a day in such high-pressure environments. But that doesn’t mean our jobs are less stressful. Every job has its own kind of stress. There could be short deadlines, endless paperwork, or the occasional angry customer. Or there may be meetings that drag on for hours, putting everyone even more behind. All can cause stress. In other words, it’s not just the job that creates stress. It’s also the way a person responds to the pressures and demands of each workplace that makes them stressed. Not surprisingly, people respond to stress differently. The way they respond depends on their personality and their workplace culture. In today’s fast-paced work environment, maintaining mental health is paramount.

“It’s up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.”- Steve Maraboli

Rev. Fr. C. Joseph,

Counsellor-St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous) Jakhama