How can we preserve our mental health at work?

“Mental health is a state of well-being that enables people to realize their potential, cope with the normal difficulties of life, work successfully and productively, and be able to make a contribution to the community.” (WHO) An individual’s state of well-being is related to his or her daily personal and professional life, to the people around him or her and to the various circumstances of the external environment.

In this article, we present the risks that can affect our mental health at work, and how to preserve our state of well-being.

1- Factors that have an impact on our mental health at work:

Our mental health can be affected in the workplace by a number of factors, such as the nature of the job or working hours, the characteristics of the work environment, lack of career prospects or discrimination and inequalities based on factors such as race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social origin, migrant status or religion. According to half of the world’s working population, the best-known factors that can damage our mental health in the workplace are:

– Excessive workload or pace of work, lack of staff ;
– Long, inflexible hours that are incompatible with social life;
– Hazardous or arduous working conditions;
– Violence, harassment or bullying;
– Under- or over-promotion;
– Job insecurity, inadequate pay or lack of investment in career development.

Imbalances in our mental health can cause us many problems, both physical and moral, such as: sleep disorders, back or headaches, digestive problems, mood swings, memory loss, withdrawal… etc. To avoid work-related mental health problems, employers are advised to take organizational action that focuses directly on working conditions and work environment.

2-How can we protect and promote mental health in the workplace?

To protect mental health in the workplace, it is important to :

– Train managers in mental health issues to help them perceive the emotional distress of their subordinates, and develop their interpersonal skills, such as open communication and active listening, to help people speak out.
– Train workers to improve their awareness and knowledge of mental health, so that they can avoid and detect the signs of psychosocial risks.
– Implement interventions aimed at individuals to teach them how to manage stress and reduce symptoms in the event of mental health problems.
– Ensuring a good work-life balance for your team
– Hold “one-to-one” meetings to find out what your employee likes and dislikes about his or her work environment.

Several methods and tools to promote a good working climate and preserve employees’ mental health.