Linked: Barrier To Performance: Why We Need To Talk About Mental Health At Work
Turns out, there are things we can do to deal with a mental health struggle, and continue working in many cases. Not all, certainly, but many. Of course that requires your workplace to fit this description:
It revealed a few successful strategies that allow participants to juggle both workplace demands and their mental health needs. For example, individuals fared better at work if they accepted their condition, rather than fought it, and also if they allowed themselves to take some time off earlier on. Also, proper medication and counselling had a positive effect on their work performance.
Similarly, mindfulness activities such as yoga or breathing exercises helped regulate symptoms. The use of humor while interacting with others at work and transparent communication with their direct manager and co-workers allowed them to explain to others how they were doing. Finally, some individuals adopted a compensation strategy in which they tried to compensate for their reduction in speed, quality or reactivity at work during difficult episodes by working harder and doing more during periods in which they felt well.
How does your workplace stack up? Do they offer a monthly onsite yoga class and assume all is well? Would you even admit to having a mental health struggle there?
I’m not sure many people would. That’s a problem, one that is costing employees and organizations both. You think they’d both have enough incentive to figure it out.
