Free Tips and Tools to Support You on World Mental Health Day 2024
The Impact of Mental Health on Workplace Productivity
According to research, an estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time; and depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy US $1 trillion each year driven predominantly by lost productivity. WHO publishes guidelines on mental health at work “to help promote mental health, prevent mental health conditions, and enable people living with mental health conditions to participate and thrive in work.”
One of the key messages of this campaign is that a supportive work environment fosters mental health, but poor working conditions can harm mental well-being, reducing both job satisfaction and productivity. Given my experience on how to address anxiety and burnout in the workplace, it is important for leaders to determine what exactly IS a supportive work environment that allows for purpose, job satisfaction and stability versus ‘poor working conditions.’ In my mind, this doesn’t necessarily mean physically or logistically bad conditions
My interpretation of poor working conditions includes having too much work, too many priorities, and not enough resources, therefore creating a demotivated, unproductive, and perhaps even ‘hostile’ work culture. This, in turn, creates mental health challenges, like excessive stress, anxiety and even burnout.
In addition, we’ve used the term work-life balance for many years. Yet what is that really? How does one achieve it to prevent burnout? If companies are not focusing on preventing excessive stress and burnout, how do their employees achieve work-life balance or consider their work environment ‘supportive’?
What about the anxiety people feel when they are at work—not because of the extensive workload, but because of all the ‘terrible news’ that is coming at them all day, every day, from negative events in their communities, their country, and the world at large? That’s a type of mental anxiety caused by things that leaders can’t necessarily control (or can they?), that leaves employees fearful of having to deal with the mental impact of these events while in their personal work environment.
What’s the ROI for Fostering Good Workplace Mental Health?
So the question remains… what does a supportive work environment that fosters mental health in the workplace look like given all these drivers that can negatively impact good mental health?
It’s hard. I get it. I know that budgets are extremely tight and people resources are even tighter. I understand that today’s organizations are faced with more ambiguity and uncertainty than ever. Leaders have to make tradeoff after tradeoff every single day. Recognizing the importance of maintaining a supportive work environment, and subsequently fighting for dollars and resources to create more realistic workloads and provide work-life balance is not easy. Companies don’t always do well at talking the talk, and then trying to maintain the walk.
So the value that awareness campaigns like World Mental Health Day 2024 provide is extremely important. It keeps information about the causes, the needs, and the solutions top-of-mind. It reminds employers of the opportunities they have to address areas that they already know can ultimately impact their productivity and bottom line financials. In my experience, leaders who invest in supportive work environments that foster mental health achieve an even bigger, more tangible Human ROI than a financial- or productivity-based one.
Fourth Quarter Reading Assignments
For those of you who are looking for some good business and leadership reads between now and the end of the year, I have this to offer you:
📙Download my new Playbook for Difficult Conversations in the Workplace – What, Why, How and build your skill for having conversations about what matters most!
📚Check-out this list of 6 great “End-of-Summer Books to Read” from Korn Ferry—a couple of which are on my highly-recommended or classic go-to list for Leadership.
If you find these free tips and tools useful, I ask in return that you keep the mission and spirit of World Mental Health Day top of mind this week, this month, and throughout the rest of the year. Do your best to encourage good mental health for your employees and yourself, now and always.
Warm Wishes,
Loretta Stagnitto