Your mental health affects how you think, feel, act, handle stress and how you make choices in life.
In addition, your mental health plays a vital role in the workplace.
The workplace brings an array of challenges, responsibilities, opportunities and strengths. One should learn to adapt to intrinsic coping mechanisms.
Dealing with workloads, meeting deadlines, uneasy colleagues and a low income can affect and add to mental breakdowns and incompetency. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress are common triggers that can affect an individual or broader community.
It is a concern for any company or organisation if their employees show symptoms that they are having a mental breakdown.
Below are some symptoms:
1. Workloads (both extreme and insufficient work)
The workload exerted onto an individual becomes overwhelming or underwhelming leading to panics and anxiety attacks or feeling inadequate.
2. Lack of participation and control in the workplace
When there is not much responsibility or tasks allocated, one can feel replaceable and insufficient, which will lead to less productivity.
3. Monotonous or unpleasant tasks
If there is a routine and consistent approach to work, you would tend to get bored and not take interest in your work in a way that you should.
4. Lack of recognition at work
When an achievement or task is completed, the employee is not recognised or praised. This can make one feel small or their efforts seem vain.
5. Inequality
Working in an office space where there is inequality amongst employees or favouritism can possibly damage a person's image of self-worth in that company.
These factors have a direct impact on work performance through increased absenteeism, reduced productivity and increased costs to the company.
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In addition "employers should put in place programmes to promote the mental health of workers, and to ensure that mental health problems are recognised early and treated effectively. Mental illnesses can be treated and prevented," says the Department of Health.
Positive mental health allows people to realise their full potential, cope with the stresses of life and work productively, making meaningful contributions.
There are ways to maintain an overall positive mental health. Making a few changes to your lifestyle can change a lot for your optimal health in the workplace such as getting professional help, connecting with others, staying positive, helping others, getting enough sleep and developing coping skills.