I was reading an article on mental health published on Forbes.com, in which Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw talked about how leaders must emphasize the mental health of their employees.
I came across some shocking statistics after reading the article. Back in 2017, 14 percent of the total population in India was suffering from mental illnesses. Even worse, 90% of the population does not have any support to battle these issues.
This was the situation more than a couple of years ago. The ongoing pandemic has made things worse. The reports of stress, stress-induced insomnia, anxiety, depression, insomnia, fear, and frustration, rising in the general population, have increased manifolds. With the country’s healthcare system already under pressure, it becomes our moral responsibility as leaders to ensure that we protect our team members and employees from the evils of stress and anxiety as much as we can.
How can we do it? Well, here’s how:
1. Talk More Often
Talking relieves stress. Encourage your employees to talk amongst themselves, especially when they are working remotely. Talk more often about things that are beyond work. It’s important not just to get immersed in work-related talks all the time.
Inspire them to take virtual breaks together. Show them the way by arranging for virtual coffee breaks and casual conversations where you talk about things other than work. That’s one way to have fun and relieve stress.
2. Encourage Breaks
Burnouts can quickly happen, especially during these times when employees are working from home. It can be quite challenging to keep track of time, and one can easily spend long hours working on their tasks without paying attention to the fact it can lead to mental fatigue.
In such a situation, you, as a leader, can encourage them to take regular breaks, take the help of a time tracking tool like ProofHub, and make sure that every team member is giving his or her brain a much-needed break it deserves.
3. Make Mental Health A Priority
Mental health is considered taboo; people don’t really want to discuss it. However, you need to spread awareness in your team that it is not. Share relevant study material, if required, on the topic. There are countless virtual resources available, talks happening all the time. Encourage your team members to be part of those sessions.
On a personal level, encourage people to talk about it, so that it does not remain a taboo topic. Let them come out, share their problems, and help them find the right solution to their mental stress and health issues.
The Biggest Problem Is Not Talking About It!
It’s not finding the cure to it; not talking about mental health is the biggest problem. By not talking about it, you are eventually suppressing something that will not end on its own. It is only with proper counselling, guidance, and support of people close to you that you will get rid of mental health issues.
As a leader, you can play a massive role in eliminating this problem from your workforce.
The steps mentioned above are just a few simple things you can do. If you have something else that you practice, or any ideas that have worked for you, don’t hesitate to share in the comments below.
About the Author
Vartika Kashyap is the Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub — leading project management software. From contributing to websites such as The Huffington Post, Business.com, Elearning, Dzone, and The Next Web to becoming LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017 and 2018, she has recognised amazing new ways to reach the audience. She weaves stories about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, and common workplace events. She also loves to read and travel to new places.
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