The start of lockdown saw lots of uncertainty around work for many. It saw many of us working from home whilst engaging in meetings online. From how we worked to how we work now; things have changed dramatically. For instance ‘zoom fatigue’ was unknown before the pandemic. But now, we hear the phrase bandied around as common practice. One thing that we can say is that these changes have invoked poor or declining mental health faster than we can cope with.
As we begin to transition back to work and engage in more face to face interaction we are seeing a high prevalence of increased stress and anxiety at work.
How mental health impacts us in our work life?
Mental health issues such as anxiety can cause someone to lose concentration, making it very difficult to multi-task and carry out day-to-day work activities. An employee’s stamina could also be affected, making tasks and deadlines difficult to meet. Someone with anxiety or depression may suffer from feelings of lack of self-worth and even constructive criticism could be taken personally and cause them to doubt themselves and their work, damaging their confidence and abilities in the future.
It may not necessarily be the face to face element of work that is being affected; it could be the dynamic of the workforce. Do you feel that the office feels less like a team and more of a competition? A person who struggles with mental health issues may struggle to interact with others and therefore isolate themselves. This causes a huge blockage of communication, meaning that any potential issues that aren’t addressed could cause some long-lasting damage in the future.
Equally, for those of us who have been working from home due to COVID-19 who would usually feed off conversations and interactions with colleagues, but had to get used to working remotely, again discouraging communication and pushing them to work in a silo and then getting back to the office and trying to get used to the new normal is challenging in more ways than one.
Within any office, the culture, atmosphere and general dynamic are constantly changing, which, for someone struggling with their mental health, can be difficult. The inability to adapt in an ever-changing environment can really slow down what should be a natural growth process within your business. The next question naturally is then, are you looking after your employees if you are a business owner or if you are an employee is this the right employer for you?
Let’s look at what Juliana Jaoudi (Head of Global Enterprise As Sales at Nextdoor) has to say about working for the right kind of organisation that values you.
“It starts with the company you choose. All organisations have unique cultures, defined by their values. When interviewing, make sure to ask questions about company culture. How do they think about wellness? Do they at all? And how do they address conflict? Do words like authenticity, collaboration, compassion and empathy come naturally to the interviewers? Ideally, you’ll find a company that values the employee experience and in turn, encourages a supportive and collaborative culture, mitigating anxiety and encouraging “healthy productivity.”
Your brain and productivity at work
So, what is happening in your brain when you feel demotivated at work and are not as productive as you would like to be?
Depression shrinks your brain. What! I hear you say? If sustained, stress has you feeling the effects of depression, the grey matter in your frontal lobe begins to decrease in size.
Your frontal lobe is responsible for things like memory, focus, reasoning, and executive function. No wonder we’re not smashing those goals at work with a shrinking frontal lobe.
“One thing is for sure is that mentally healthy people are more productive.”
So, if you are an employer ask yourself if it’s about time that you really look at increasing that productivity amongst your workforce. Equally, if you are an employee, think about whether you are working with the right organisation that places your wellbeing as a priority.
Whatever you decide remember to invest in your brain as much as you invest in your body and workplace productivity will naturally improve. You’ll also be happier and healthier, which are great benefits in themselves.
If you are interested in how our mental health experts at Shama can help your organisation achieve a more productive workforce and upskill senior leaders then get in contact.
