Studies have been looking into the effect of stress and other psychosocial factors on
employees’ well-being for decades. Over the last decade, the sudden exponential rise in
workplace stress and anxiety indicating that employee at all-levels are impacted, including
those in higher ranks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further added to the issue of stress and anxiety at work. With
the sudden shift to remote work, many employees have experienced more social isolation,
compounded with the need to be constantly available. This dichotomy, combined with several
other factors—personal health concerns, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, and
increased consumption of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, financial impacts from economic
slowdown—has led to a potential crisis for the workplace. In addition to these concerns,
prescription drug abuse is another possibility with new prescriptions for stress and anxiety
medication accounting for 78% of all prescriptions being filled.
While just a few years ago, mental health issues were not discussed or even understood, often
leading to the ostracization of anyone who had challenges. Today, mental health is better
understood and less stigmatized with more people speaking up about their health and also
receiving more compassion for handling challenges. However, more work still needs to be
done. We need to reflect on how we actively improve mental health in the workplace. Here
are some ways individuals and leaders can make our workplaces healthier and happier.
Create a no-stress workplace
- The WHO says anxiety and stress cost the global economy around $1 trillion in productivity
each year.
Organizations need to explore some measures towards creating a no stress workplace: - Create a culture of openness, supporting employees who come forward with mental
health issues. - Top executives, including the CEO, should support the commitment to openness.
Establishing this type of culture helps the employee feel safe and demonstrates the
employer’s commitment to a psychologically safe workplace. - Communications can also be as simple as frequently and genuinely asking how
employees are doing and providing reminders to access enterprise mental-health
resources. - Empower HR departments to be more people centric as opposed to transactional and
administrative focus that prevails in many organizations - Offering group meetings and forums can enable workers to discuss mental health
issues freely. - HR can publicize an open-door policy to allow employees to discuss more
confidential matters. - Top executives, including the CEO, should support the commitment to openness.
Establishing this type of culture helps the employee feel safe and demonstrates the
employer’s commitment to a psychologically safe workplace. - Employers should focus on identifying stress factors in the company (Risk
assessments). - Finally, employers must promote self-care. With the line shrinking between personal
space and work, managers should encourage their employees to get enough rest and
take breaks regularly. - Digital tools can play an increasing role in promoting mental health and self-care.
- Company-sponsored mental-health breaks—whether in person or virtual, or
both—can help employees reduce stress while feeling connected. - Better collaboration and partnerships with Medical Aids, employee wellness support
programs can enable more proactive monitoring and tracking of wellness levels and
barriers to accessing the available support.
Leaders may need to adopt new leadership styles
Lastly, the new workplace requires new Leadership styles to emerge. People centric leaders
who are genuinely interested in creating positive work[place culture, which fosters positive
mindsets and behaviors.
When leaders do this, they can be catalysts in fostering and fortifying psychological safety.
This type of environment leads to team members caring more about each other’s well-being,
even further leading to a more psychologically safe workplace.
Adopting a consultative leadership approach, as opposed to an autocratic leadership style
can directly impact worker psychological health. Collaboration creates a more supportive
leadership role that improves mental health. By demonstrating concern for team members,
leaders can encourage members to support each other as well.
Lithala Risk Solutions provides leadership coaching to enable leaders to
navigate this sometimes complex space of Phycological Safety