Today is World Mental Health Day and this year the focus is on burnout in the Workplace.
This is something particularly important to me as I was very honoured to be part of a wonderful pilot project attempting to address sickness in the workplace on the back of an independent review back in 2011. I was lucky enough to work with a fabulous team of forward thinking healthcare professionals and with our combined knowledge, expertise, and passion for the service, we had some really great successes.
The review was pretty stark & scary reading and figures at that time showed how vital work is for our health in so many ways.
Reaching burnout takes time and is often something that slowly builds and builds and takes over sometimes before we recognise what's happened. It can then take a bit of concerted effort to bring ourselves back from it. Here is my micro habit bingo to help you support your central nervous system and encourage mindful moments through your day. Small consistent actions can make a big difference but do take note of how you feel at the end of the day. Aim for consistency over perfection. Remember anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
I also thought I would share a few things I’ve learnt over the years about wellbeing in the workplace.
Communication is key. I could write a whole blog about this in the workplace alone but as a starting point - if everyone communicates their expectations of each other effectively it really does helps.
Most employers do want to help but they’re also businesses which can be challenging to manage everyone’s priorities.
Not all managers have the skills/experience to manage people and this can be a real challenge. I have to believe this has changed for the better in more recent years but especially in smaller organisations there isn’t always the budgets to provide extensive manager training, it’s not because it’s not wanted. It can help to again communicate with your manager what’s not working for you but with respect and from a perspective of trying to develop your working relationship rather than fault picking. Managers are human beings with feelings too and often with a lot of pressure on their shoulders.
Too many employees do not utilise their company’s offerings around health. So many now have wellness budgets & programmes to support their staff, please utilise them or ask for something different. You could help influence what that looks like in your organisation.
Workplace cultures can sometimes be a bit toxic. I hate to say this and its hard to say it diplomatically, but it happens in all areas of life and unfortunately work is no different. It’s about how we navigate that. This is the most challenging to stand your ground in as we can try and influence, but it can be hard to change in certain organisations. We see it right from high school, families, even where we live, and the workplace can be just another example. I’m all about looking at the positives but I’m also realistic and it’s impossible to ignore. I’m pleased to see things are so much better than they used to be but it’s good to understand your employers policies (they’re there for a reason!) and do not be afraid to challenge them if you feel they aren’t being adhered to. I do also appreciate that sometimes organisations say but don’t actually do. You can seek further advice from ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/ if you should need it.
Some environments are not well suited to some people. This is unfortunately just one of those realities of life and for me the most important thing here is that YOU get to be the one making that decision, not your employer. If staying in a job is having a detrimental affect on your health and you have sought support and had open conversations with your manager around expectations etc, then sometimes it’s a case of making a difficult decision and moving to somewhere that recognises your talents and an environment that enables you to flourish and thrive. You’re like a flower that just needs the right conditions to bloom. Sometimes we need to develop some resilience if we want to grow into our field, but recognising the difference between the two is key.
Proactivity, foresight, and awareness are important in managing wellbeing. This is self-explanatory really, but I believe in not waiting for things to get worse before you take action or have a conversation. Often things outside of work, impact our ability to be present and/or productive at work but without a conversation it might appear very differently. The longer we leave it, the harder the conversations become and then potentially the bigger the impact. Emails can sometimes help with expressing ourselves without feeling so on the spot, so use whatever form of communication you need to.
A flexible & supportive manager will get a happier & more productive workforce. Recognising not everyone has the same priorities or attitudes to work and accepting that, is ok. Again COMMUNICATION.
Action learning processes are great ways of working through team issues whilst empowering colleagues within a workplace. Using either external facilitators or adopting the skills in house depending on what would be best received by the team. All have to engage though otherwise it becomes a pointless exercise.
My final and possibly slightly controversial point but a big one. Responsibility, accountability and compromise are some of the fundamentals within a thriving team. I’ve worked with hundreds and even thousands of clients over the course of my career, many off work through ill health. I’ve been involved in recruitment, unfortunately some horrendous dismissals, I’ve been mediator within some organisations where communication has broken down, and I’ve also built and managed a team. As you can imagine, I’ve come across many different personalities, attitudes and approaches. One thing for me that sits across all those different areas, settings or relationships is that it is our responsibility to do our bit. That might look different depending on the team or setting, but it might involve putting some extra energy into taking care of our own wellbeing if we work in a potentially high stress job. It might be as a manager, enabling your team to be able to take care of their wellbeing by giving them the space, support or whatever they need to access it. It might be asking questions to get what we need and then try to make sense of the answer we get if its not the one we wanted. When working within a team, we need to work for that team and that might mean compromise. This needs to be with support and not resentment. It might mean looking out for colleagues who are struggling and showing support or asking the questions they are unable to. It means treating people with respect as the individuals they are. It also means being accountable when we mess up, recognising we are human and not machines, but holding our hands up and being open and vulnerable when it happens. On the back of that, it also means having compassion and parking the judgment when someone else does the same. A little kindness goes a long way, and this is the sort of workplace culture that will create a team that flies.
We spend such a huge proportion of our time at work, it is so important that we get something more than money out of it. OK it may not be your dream job but there is always something to gain in any situation if we look for it. If you are struggling at work, I urge you to reach out. A quiet tentative conversation with a manager is sometimes all that’s needed to alert them to support you that bit more. Its much better for everyone involved, if you can together work through it to keep you at work in your job. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind every year. You will not be the first or last person to ask for support at your workplace so don’t be afraid.
The job can be replaced, you can’t.
Much love & magic,
Michelle
If you need to talk to someone please reach out.
Mind 0300 102 1234 Open 9am-6pm weekdays
Samaritans 116 123 Always open
Campaign Against Living Miserably 0800 58 58 58 opens 5pm- midnight
If you’re in Wales Call 0800 132 737 Always open
If you’re under 25 The Mix Text THEMIX to 85258 Always open
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