Welcome to part two of “Mental Health & Its Impact in the Workplace.” In part one, I emphasized the theoretical illustration of mental health and its negative impacts in a business setting. In part two, I will be discussing physical practices that could be viewed as a way to ease the minds of employees in different work environments, varying from fast paced/high demand to euphonious/relaxed. After reading that, you’re probably thinking: “why should someone working in the medical field, endeavouring to save lives, be treated the same as a massage therapist in regards to mental health treatment?” My answer to you, as I stressed in part one, is that we are all extremely different as individuals, and one person may be struggling much more than the other. Therefore it is vital to recognize there is no one “right way” to create a mentally healthy workplace.
First and foremost, I believe that every workplace should have a meditation station, or a designated meditation break implemented into employees’ schedules. Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine (Mayo Clinic 1) . When pursued, one can indulge in paying attention to breathing patterns and heart rate speeds, which helps to eliminate the overcrowding thoughts of how am I ever going to complete this project for my boss in time? and how will I get my kid to soccer practice when I am scheduled to work overtime? This process has been proven time and again to enhance physical and emotional well-being. Meditation brings people a sense of calmness and peace. But the beauty of it is that you can also use meditation to relax in the midst of a hectic environment and cope with stress of finances, family issues, and other anxieties by refocusing your attention on a soothing voice with easy instructions.
Meditation is something that I personally pursue on a daily basis. Being a university student who is expected to produce assignment after assignment, study for hours, and juggle infinite other responsibilities, it is extremely easy for me to get caught up in a stressful mindset. One of the biggest reasons I recommended meditation in the workplace is because that short, fifteen minute session can help set the tone for the rest of your day and influence how you choose to look at the challenges you may face. How might a workplace go about implementing such a break? An employer could designate a room for quiet meditation, providing headphones to enhance the experience. Each employee can be provided with a designated time throughout their shift to go to this room and be one with their thoughts and feelings. And hey, maybe provide a blanket or two to maximize comfort levels.
We work with the same people everyday, but how much do we really know about each other? Bill and Anastasia may work side by side daily but does Bill know that Anastasia has recently lost her mother and has been struggling with severe depression? Does Anastasia know that Bill has drowned himself in student debt that he struggles to pay off every day, often forgetting to eat in fear of spending too much? Hosting an event such as a biweekly staff breakfast/lunch/dinner where employees can get to know each other on a personal level is critical to the strengthening of peer assessment and the work individuals submit together. While not everyone is comfortable with sharing their struggles (and that is more than okay), simply being open to the fact that some people struggle with poor mental health goes a long way, and the support from the people we regularly interact with matters. If we talk more about mental health, and share what we have been struggling with, it could potentially lead to more people seeking treatment and working towards combating the negative stigma around mental health. If a workplace were to arrange a meal or an outing with all staff members, Anastasia and Bill may have the opportunity to be honest and communicate about more non-work related topics. It could be a moment for Anastasia to discover that Bill has also been struggling with depression, and while their situations may be different, they are able to assist each other in the near future. And what better way to open up than over a delicious crepe breakfast? We are never alone in our battles, and it can feel extremely comforting to be in the presence of someone who relates to you. Now, Anastasia and Bill might come in to work the next day and produce one of the best pieces of work yet because they are comfortable with each other, and because they understand each others’ limits.
Finally, I believe every workplace should have a gratitude board where employees can pin sticky-notes with motivating or inspiring messages to keep one another going. Leaving a message can be an extremely easy task to perform in the midst of a hectic workday. Words go such a long way, and if you’re having a bad day, or a client was disrespectful to you, a simple message saying “keep going” or “wow, you’re doing great” can help to release the weight of negative emotions on your stressful afternoon. I’m going to utilize my science background here for a minute. The hippocampus and the amygdala (two important regions of the brain) are responsible for regulating emotions and daily functioning, and they are heavily impacted by feelings of gratitude. Gratitude helps regulate levels of dopamine, which can significantly reduce anxiety and depression by signaling the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for managing negative emotions like guilt and sadness. In my high school, our student council would put notes on students’ lockers before exams with positive quotes or messages written on them to let the students know that they had done their best this school year and that they should be proud of their accomplishments. This went a long way for a student like me, who was constantly caught up in my grades and how well I performed. If cheesy letters aren’t really your thing, this board can also feature the numbers or websites of various counseling hotlines or nearby therapy offices for employees to seek professional help.
Thank you for reading my mini-series where I continually emphasized the importance of pushing for the right to have a healthy mindset throughout your workday. Remember that no matter how lonely you feel, someone loves and cares for you, and on your darkest days you are not alone.
Sources
Distress and Crisis Ontario. (2021, January 22). Gratitude and Mental Health. Distress and Crisis Ontario. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.dcontario.org/gratitude-and-mental-health/
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, April 29). A beginner’s guide to meditation. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
This article was written by summer student Bayden Summers and edited by summer student Cossette Penner-Olivera. This article was funded by the Government of Canada.