When you need to focus on mental wellness: 7 actions anyone can take
So much has been written about resiliency, toughness, staying motivated, empathy, emotional intelligence, and a cadre of other skills and mindsets to keep us going. No doubt these are skills we all have sharpened.
Many of us have focused on the positives in our lives and some of us have taken this universe-mandated time-out to focus on what matters most whether that is our family, pets, health, love, intimacy, religion, community, volunteerism, hobbies, and/or bucket-list goals.
We know people are leaving jobs at an alarming rate; some are walking out without another job or path. Why is this happening? This is a worker revolt. Whether the issue is pay, hours, conditions, abusive customers, type of work, lack of flexibility, values alignment, terrible managers, lack of diversity and inclusion…the list goes on and on as to the reasons why. There is not a single reason interestingly. This is personal.
I have always learned (and seen firsthand) that a crisis can pull people together or tear them apart. I just went to a socially distanced meetup group where we were talking about life “BC” — Before COVID. Oftentimes, our lives can be divided into a before and after phase around a crisis or major change. This is one of the largest, most far-reaching changes I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. The After Phase sadly hasn’t even started yet. There may not be a true After Phase but just a constant evolution of current circumstances.
I wonder how leaders are viewing this revolution where workers are smack in the middle of the Before and After Phases and things aren’t working. I applaud some organizations for valuing their staff and doing whatever they can to support and surround them. I don’t think enough organizations are doing this, unfortunately.
We need to consider how profound an effect the last two years have had on our psyches and well-being. Humans need to connect with other people and nature. Humans need to belong to something larger than themselves. Humans need to feel a purpose in life however large or small that is. We have had tremendous obstacles in our path that block all of these core parts of our lives.
They are not insurmountable but we need to intentionally focus on how to re-steer the ship. One major way a company can help is to focus on wellness. Wellness is not just about physical health. This is where many companies started by focusing on proactive management of health through personal health assessments, gym memberships, nutrition programs, and the like.
Today, wellness means physical, financial, social, and, most important, mental. Given we have been denied some of our critical needs of being a human, we need to support and spark a deeper focus on mental wellness. Mental wellness isn’t just about depression or avoiding depression. Mental wellness is a lot about balance, clarity, stress management, coping, handling or staffing off anxiety, smiling, breathing, and even emotional intelligence.
Mental health still has a bit of a stigma. I see this is waning (thank goodness!) but there are still organizations, which are made up of people, where not being mentally tough means you are weak. For me, I say enough on that front.
I personally battle anxiety, which is not fretting about the past but worrying a lot about the future and what could or could not happen. This can be crippling at certain times but I have my tricks for managing it. I have triggers too, and too much work, no connection, and a mixed sense of purpose in these times are enough to push me into a spiral. I know I am not alone.
Many of us can’t influence company policy or programs in this direction but what can we do to help our colleagues and team members in the space of mental wellness? A lot actually.
Check in often.
I have written this before but this is the time for managers and colleagues to check in more often than normal. There is always a reason to hold one-on-one and team meetings to share stories, successes, and challenges. Now is the time to ensure you are focused on the team. Feeling a part of a team can help in many ways.
Encourage time off.
How many of us are staring at our time off summary to find we have barely taken any? Last year, that was me. Not this year. I have sprinkled in days off throughout the year to keep me refreshed. I will admit that two weeks ago, I was getting very irritated at just about everything. Time for a break! When you notice someone is losing it a little bit, nudge them to take time off. We all want time off at the end of the year but that shouldn’t be at the sacrifice of a balanced 11 months to get there.
Limit scope and priorities.
Time to reset on what can feasibly be done between now and mid-December. I bet not too much. Lighten up on priorities and limit to 3-5 major goals. Look at your calendar and workload and make some decisions about what you can get done. Cut yourself some slack, limit your scope, and set expectations. It’s never too early to plot what is on tap for 2022!
Promote resources.
As I mentioned, many companies have committed to resources…not just Employee Assistance Programs but connections with support groups, Yoga classes, meditation sessions, and discounts on apps like Calm or Headspace. I see many organizations trying, which is so amazing. No matter your level, find out what your company, church, or community has to help and promote it to others.
Tie into purpose.
One’s purpose is very personal. If you are a manager, talk to your people about what drives them or fills up their cup. If you are not, initiate this conversation with your manager or mentor and try to tie your job to your purpose. Maybe your whole job doesn’t align with all you want to achieve in life. That is okay. I would say that is healthy. We should not depend on one thing to fill up our cups. We all should have multiple activities and commitments in our lives that make up our purpose.
Create intentional connections.
Outside of meetings, this is the time to make more connections. If you are comfortable seeing your colleagues in person, do so. Some people are not back in the office but, if you are comfortable, arrange lunch to see your colleagues in person if you can. Ensure you are connecting via groups. The best way to do this is to create or join Employee Resource Groups. These may have different names in your company or community but actively reach out and attend something you would not normally attend. Trust me when I say we need connection so join that next professional meeting, attend a Meetup virtually (love the meetup app!), or participate in an ERG group focused on women or young workers. If something like ERGs doesn’t exist at your organization, start it.
Create more belonging.
All of the above actions will help to create more belonging. As humans, we need to belong to something. For a lot of us, this can be our family, neighborhood, and/or church/temple/synagogue. This can also be our workplace even when we aren’t sitting in it physically. The best way to avoid employees leaving is to ensure they are connected to the mother ship. Showing you care and focusing on mental wellness can help create that bond.
Now is the time to take mental wellness seriously. Levels of stress and anxiety are up. Unions are striking, people are leaving, and people are struggling. This worker revolt is a long time coming. I think people have hit a breaking point where we are all realizing life is too short and things need to change.
As we evolve into an After Phase, we need to ensure people are working hard AND achieving balance. We simply cannot return to the Before Phase the way it was, which was out of balance for many. Embrace the wellness conversation, support your teams and watch how we can maximize this mini-After Phase to everyone’s benefit.