Mental health is something that many, many people struggle with. This is not just a problem for the United States, but a problem for much of the world. Every year, research shows that more and more people are diagnosed with mental health problems. Unfortunately, most people hide their mental health problems without even realizing they should seek help, as it has long been a taboo subject. A keen eye can help spot signs of depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems in the workplace. The important thing to remember is that even if all of these signs are present, it doesn't mean the employee is a bad employee or that they don't care about their job. Often, employees want to do a good job and know they are capable of doing better. With the right understanding and encouragement, employees can get the help they need to get back to their hard-working selves. increased sleepiness One of the most common symptoms of depression and anxiety is sleepiness. Whether it's a lack of sleep or an increased need for sleep, sleepiness is a leading cause of procrastination and reduced productivity. If your employees fall asleep at their desks, chances are they need more sleep. If depression or anxiety disrupts sleep in any way, employees will start showing signs during the workday.
If an employee is yawning at their desk, or you accidentally see them dozing off, take the time to reprimand them, as sleepiness doesn't always indicate disinterest or boredom. Before dismissing these signs as employee rudeness, consider that the employee may be unwell. We understand sleepless nights for new parents with their newborns, but we invalidate people with insomnia due to mental health issues. Before making quick judgments and condemnations, we should take a moment to try and get to know each other better. poor memory Very often, people with depression and anxiety forget important everyday things. It's easy for them to forget something as simple as a meeting or the location of their keys. Coping with new symptoms of memory industry mailing list that comes with mental health can be difficult when employees typically have good memories. Laughing at or condemning someone who is suffering can increase stress and make the situation worse. In a work environment, missing an appointment or deadline can be extremely damaging to a company. Employees often know they screwed up when they remember something they forgot. In these cases, if the error is not too severe, try to consider all parts of the problem. Is this a permanent problem due to employee error? Is this a long-standing, recurring habit of employees? Have they proven themselves trustworthy in the past, but only recently lost their horses? Do employees feel remorse for mistakes?
Do they express efforts to fix their memory gaps and continue to improve? All of these issues and more should be considered before disciplinary action is taken against an employee with poor memory. At the end of the day, there will be bad employees who forget their jobs and don't fit in with the company, but it's never a good idea to assume that every employee who stumbles is a bad employee. After all, we are all human. seasonal depression Seasons can actually be an important indicator of employee mental health. Seasonal depression is a very real problem. In fact, about 5% of the population experiences seasonal depression each year. When everyone is locked indoors during the cold, dark months, people often don't get enough sunlight and vitamin D, which is essential for physical and mental health. Keep in mind the time of year and how much sunlight your employees are exposed to. If they go to work before the sun rises and leave after the sun goes down, there is an increased risk of mental health (and physical health) problems. irritability or irritability For some people, they can act restless or irritable when they are depressed or anxious. At times, they may make sharp comments or fidget during a meeting. If the employee behaves unreasonably and exhibits these characteristics, then rude behavior is never acceptable, but perhaps it can be pulled aside and their performance checked. Pay attention to how they behave one-on-one, as they may open up or feel unable to talk about it for fear of repercussions. They may suppress their emotions because they feel like they can't talk about it with anyone, not just HR. If you need to talk to someone, work with them for help. Increase sick or private days Getting out of bed in the morning can seem especially difficult when employees are feeling down or anxious.
At times, the thought of sitting in an office in charge of responsibility seemed overwhelming that day. If you notice that employees are starting to take more sick days or personal days, you may start to worry about whether everything is okay. Now, sure, some bad employees take advantage of the PTO policy, but our immediate assumption shouldn't be that someone is trying to break the system. Instead, we should look at the employee's history and match their behavior with proven habits. Do employees often need PTO days, or is this a new development? Can they still get the job done? Are they trying to make up for lost progress? While the use of PTO days can be a difficult indicator to distinguish from other life issues or policy abusers, it is often a very common habit among mental health patients. How to deal with mental health traps in the office mental health ribbon As you can see, most of these symptoms are often misinterpreted as bad behavior. The best thing you can do is try to see each person as another person with their own struggles, because there is a greater chance of something going wrong in their life than they are taking advantage of the system. If you notice any or all of these characteristics in some or many of your employees, you may be asking yourself, "What can we do to avoid increased stress?" After all, most employees spend most of their waking hours in the workplace spent, so maintaining an enjoyable and engaging experience should naturally be a priority. In fact, a 2015 study by the American Psychological Association showed that 65% of Americans cited work as a significant cause of stress, rather than family issues, health issues or the overall economy. Unfortunately, in today's society, mental health awareness is not as healthy as it should be. Most insurance policies do not cover the treatment or resources needed to get help. If you can't find or afford a policy that includes mental health insurance, you should take a deep dive into the employee experience and see what you can do to improve your company culture.
While none of these examples are magic solutions to making the workplace stress-free, they are just guidelines on how to focus on your employees. mental health day Whether you use PTO or sick/vacation, it's important to realize that employees need some days. Giving them the freedom to be human and reconnect with themselves and life can really help them reset themselves and regain a more productive mindset. Often, the mundane tasks of day-to-day work exhaust employees. Most of the time, people can schedule time off, but if an employee doesn't have any plans to go anywhere, they may feel weird about scheduling it. Having the option to attend an unscheduled mental health day will help ease the stress of deciding whether they should use sick or vacation time to recharge. Sometimes employees wake up just knowing they need the day to recover. When that happens, going into the office will only cause more problems for the day and increase the chances of taking a long-term leave. Even if work is not the cause of stress, everyday life can numb and depress some people.