Jonathan Shroyer is the Chief CX Innovation Officer at Arise Virtual Solutions and has 20 years of experience as a business leader.
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Mental health is critical for success, both at a professional level and a personal one. Business professionals often struggle with stress and pressure, which makes mental well-being even more critical to successfully navigating a constantly ongoing environment of business operations, deadlines and new workloads. But how can individuals navigate in this sort of environment? How can they advocate for themselves and attain a critical work-life balance that supports their mental well-being? How can business leaders encourage and initiate conversations about mental health in the workplace?
How can individuals advocate for themselves and their mental health in the workplace?
Mental health discussions can be nerve-wracking, especially for people who are not familiar with it themselves. It is important to utilize resources and identify symptoms at an individual level. Some signs that can be seen in the workplace setting include decreased productivity, irritability, difficulty concentrating and feelings of dread or hopelessness.
Once a problem is identified, it can better be resolved. Being a self-advocate can be daunting, but co-workers or team leaders will not know what’s going on unless a matter becomes so evident that it needs to be addressed, or it is brought up to them. Taking time to speak with team members or leaders privately can help. It does not always need to be a large matter, either. If requesting a break to walk outside or making a suggestion for workload management can help, it is worth asking about it.
How can business leaders advocate for their team members’ mental health?
While self-advocacy is important, it is also critical for team leaders, executives and managers to advocate for their teams. Leaders need to create a space where their teams can come forward and advocate for themselves, and they also need to initiate an ongoing conversation about mental health in the workforce, while also producing actionable items that can help improve well-being. Some companies offer fitness reimbursement packages, but not many offer therapy reimbursement packages, yet both mental and physical wellness are important. Additionally, the reality is that the 40-hours-a-week, Monday-through-Friday sedentary lifestyle is not harmonious with human bodies or minds. Humans need more movement and stimulation in their lives.
Business leaders need to advocate for flexible work structures. This allows people the ability to take exercise classes in the middle of the day, take their kids to the park or go for a couple of walks throughout the day. If remote work is already implemented, leaders must understand that people need to have human interaction, too. This can be done through weekly team chats that are not about work, but rather about the team members themselves. Something so simple can be incredibly effective at building a more productive and efficient workforce.
Leaders also need to be transparent about their own mental well-being as a way to initiate an ongoing conversation. Company leaders can implement mental health days or half-day Fridays or can reimburse employees for mental wellness programs or apps that can be a huge asset to a person’s life. If leaders treat their people well, they will be more productive and be more likely to stay working at the company and grow with the company, which leads to more business success down the road for years to come.
How can business leaders ‘handle’ anxiety and depression in the workforce?
Most people will experience either depression or anxiety at some point in their lifetimes. If not, they will undoubtedly know someone who has struggled with anxiety or depression. Either of these disorders can be debilitating, and even disabling, to the individuals who experience it. It can impact every aspect of their lives, including their professional lives and careers. So how can people lead teams or companies if they have anxiety or depression?
Shift the mindset.
The current corporate mindset is to simply go all the time. It is also largely based on networking rather than actual skill and experience. Business leaders need to initiate a shift in that mindset. Not everyone is going to be an extrovert, not everyone is going to be able or willing to go to happy hours to network with their teams and not everyone is willing to stay later or come early solely in order to secure a promotion. That does not mean they are not team players or bad at their jobs.
The current mindset creates a negative work environment that can exacerbate feelings of anxiety or depression, especially for those who may naturally be more introverted. Companies that want to continue to have business success will embrace all of their team members’ weaknesses and strengths and understand that not everyone is cut from the same cloth, nor should they be. There also needs to be a better work-life balance and boundaries during the workday to ensure you get enough time to work, think and communicate with teams, as well as keep your energy up.
Create a day that is manageable and efficient.
Some meetings are inevitable. However, plenty of meetings are able to just be emails. Creating a schedule or a typical workday that is efficient and manageable, with breaks implemented as needed, can help reduce feelings of stress or overload. Limiting to two meetings a day, or no meetings on Friday, for example, can help leaders feel in control of their day, which can help offset stress and anxiety.
Collaborate as a team.
Projects and to-dos can quickly overwhelm people. Embrace collaboration and team-building by tackling projects together. Whether that is another set of eyes editing a report or taking on client calls as a team, team collaboration can help create a feeling of safety.
Individuals should utilize resources and identify symptoms, while business leaders need to create a space for conversations and implement flexible work structures. Leaders should also shift the corporate mindset, create a manageable workday and embrace collaboration to improve the culture and mental well-being of the company and its team members.
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