Blog
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, recovering from the December festivities and facing the realities of another new year. If you have school aged children you are probably in the midst of the school-readiness rush; probably made worse by January with its 93 days!
Many of us are either about to get back to work or have started already. As I am facing / avoiding the reality of returning to work I realised again the importance of mental health. Especially in the workplace.
While doing some research on the topic I realised just what a hot topic this appears to be at present. It seems as if mental health in the workplace is top of mind for everyone these days. So, I decided that January’s blog will focus on the basics of mental health in the workplace.
Numerous authors agree that supporting mental health in the workplace is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity. It seems as if two core mental health responsibilities companies have are, firstly, discussing mental health at work and secondly, creating wellness solutions to help their employees thrive.
But what is mental health?
Mental health is a state of well-being helping an individual cope with everyday stressors, work more productively, reach his or her full potential, and contribute positively to their community.
This, then, implies that overall health consists of mental health, along with physical health and social well-being. If our overall health is good, we will thrive. We will thrive because our body-mind relationship will be healthy resulting in a healthy internal equilibrium.
I think a very important aspect to point out is that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. You can have poor mental health without having an illness and likewise, you can have good mental health with a mental illness.
To summarise, the five key takeaways on mental health are:
- Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness
- You cannot have physical health without mental health
- Mental health aids in coping with stress
- Human performance and mental health go hand in hand
- Workplace wellness must be a top priority
"Mental health is a state of well-being helping an individual cope with everyday stressors, work more productively, reach his or her full potential, and contribute positively to their community."
As I mentioned earlier one of the core mental health responsibilities of a company is the creation of safe spaces where mental health issues can be discussed. The days of not talking about mental health are gone. Or, at least they should be.
Mental health discussions aid in the de-stigmatisation of mental health issues. These discussions could help develop and nourish positive mental health allowing us to cope with challenges, even good ones, and setbacks in our lives, both at work and at home.
Openly discussing mental health issues will also assist us to be better able to recognise, express, and regulate our emotions. It allows us to empathise with others and enables us to have basic cognitive and social skills.
Positive mental health at work helps us cope with changing roles and responsibilities. Not to mention difficult challenges. It helps us flourish in our roles, manage stress, and boost our resilience. Ultimately, it allows us to reach our highest potential.
I think that about sums it up. Mental health in the workplace is extremely important, we need to be able to discuss our mental health issues in a safe and non-judgemental environment. But, we can also practise many healthy mental health activities while at work. I found a few brilliant tips to help with this. Please download these at the end of this blog. Now stop reading and get back to work!
Gerda and I wish everyone whose paths have crossed ours many blessed and productive hours at work, and a special thanks for everyone in the retail industry who kept most of the shops operating even on days when most of us could spend time at home with our families.
Cheers to mental health in the workplace!