What is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is a basic right crucial to personal, community, and socio-economic development. It is a state of mental well-being that enables a person to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well work, and contribute to their community.
Social well-being: It refers to the ability to interact with people and form positive relationships and meaningful connections.
Emotional well-being: It refers to the ability to manage, express, and understand emotions constructively and fruitfully.
Psychological well-being: It refers to intellectual functions like thinking, learning, and memory.
Mental health is determined by a complex interplay of individual, social, and structural stresses and vulnerabilities. The need for action on mental health is indisputable and urgent.
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Role of Mental Health at Workplace
A healthy work environment supports both physical and mental health. When employees are mentally healthy, their productivity is enhanced, and they are more engaged and satisfied with their targets. Mental health is a growing concern and its impact on the workplace is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of the overall well-being of employees in their personal and professional lives and their success in targets of job and interpersonal relationships.
Without effective support, mental disorders and other mental health conditions can affect a person’s confidence and identity at work, capacity to work productively, absences, and the ease with which to retain or gain work. So focusing on the mental health of employees is essential at the workplace for well well-being of both the employees and the organization.
Reasons for Disturbance of Mental Health at Workplace
Mental health at the workplace can be affected due to many reasons that create stress or any sense of insecurity in the mind of the employee, discrimination, or inequality based on gender, age, religion, culture, and language. There are many organizations or sectors where there are no rules for the protection and health of employees. After that many people have to work in that unsafe environment for long hours which may lead them to some mental health issues. Healthcare workers often deal with cases in the wards or emergencies that carry an elevated risk of exposure to adverse events, which can negatively impact mental health.
The reason may be one or more of the following:
- Employees are not effectively skilled in work
- Violence, harassment, or bullying
- Discrimination
- Unclear job role and targets
- Under- promotion
- Job insecurity, inadequate pay
- Excessive workloads in the workplace due to a lack of staff
- Long, reserved, and inflexible working hours
- Lack of control over job design or workload
- Unsafe or poor physical working conditions
- Organizational culture that enables negative behaviors
- Limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision
Reasons for Necessity of Good Mental Health at Workplace
- Bring up a healthy workplace culture: Encouraging good mental health is beneficial for creating a workplace culture of goodwill and responsibility. A healthy atmosphere helps minimize stigma, advance communication, and create an environment in which employees work and feel accepted.
- Enhance services for customers: The mental well-being at the workplace enhances employee's ability to be more attentive and responsive to the needs of customers, resulting in improved service quality. Mental well-being also enhances the ability to understand the concerns of the customer, offer solutions to them for their problems related to the organization, and create positive interactions.
- Enhanced productivity: Good mental health in employees leads to increased productivity as they can focus better and concentrate more effectively. This results in fewer errors, faster problem-solving, and completing tasks more efficiently. When employees feel mentally supported and well, they are more involved in their work, which boosts creativity and enthusiasm levels.
- Reduced Absenteeism: Employees facing mental health challenges are prone to missing work more often. Prioritizing mental health in the workplace reduces absenteeism rates, ensuring consistent and reliable customer service
- Higher Job Satisfaction: A supportive work environment enhances job satisfaction among employees, boosting morale. Satisfied employees are more likely to provide exceptional service to customers and go the extra mile.
Maintenance of Mental Health at the Workplace
To maintain good mental health at work, it is important to have a mix of personal routines, supportive company rules, and a positive work atmosphere.
This can only be achieved by integrated efforts of all the members of the organization or the workplace, both the employees and the employers.
Here are some tips or strategies for employees and employers to apply at their workplace to modify the atmosphere of their workplace in a constructive way.
Employees should
- Set clear boundaries for work hours
- Take breaks regularly to prevent mental exhaustion and increase concentration
- Use stress-relief methods like mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing to stay calm
- Reach out to colleagues, supervisors, or mental health experts if feeling overwhelmed
- Stay active, eat well, and get enough sleep for better mental health
Employers should
- Allow flexible work schedules
- Offer mental health resources, counseling, or workshops
- Create a welcoming environment for discussing mental health
- Provide training on mental health awareness and stress management
- Ensure employees have manageable workloads
- Acknowledge accomplishments and give positive feedback to reduce stress
- Encourage teamwork, fairness, and respect while discouraging negative behaviors like bullying or harassment
Conclusion
Mental health is very important at work. When companies pay attention to their employees’ mental well-being, they can create a more productive, supportive, and enjoyable environment.
It is important to realize that mental health is essential for overall well-being, and looking after it is not only the correct thing to do but also a wise business decision. A mentally healthy team leads to increased engagement, fewer absences, and better overall outcomes, which contribute to the lasting success and sustainability of any organization.
Crafted By: Subham Yadav, B Pharm 23