If you feel that your mental health is unraveling, you should see a therapist.
According to available research, a significant number of people worldwide live with mental health issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 1 in 4 people globally will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives. This represents a substantial portion of the population, highlighting the impact of mental health issues on individuals and communities.
Research consistently demonstrates that the work environment has a significant impact on people's mental health both positive and negative. High demands coupled with low control, workload imbalance, and job insecurity contribute to increased stress and mental health issues. However, a supportive work environment with positive communication can improve these negative effects. Social support from colleagues and supervisors, along with a culture that values employee well-being and work-life balance, fosters positive mental health outcomes. Conversely, workplace bullying, harassment, and violence can have grave consequences on mental well-being.
How Does Work Environment & Company Culture Affect Employees' Mental Health?
An unsupportive work environment, with an excessive workload and poor work-life balance, can have detrimental effects on mental health. Long hours, unrealistic deadlines, and an inability to disconnect from work contribute to stress and anxiety, burnout, and reduced well-being.
Workplace bullying, harassment, and toxic relationships significantly impact mental health, increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Work-related violence, including physical or verbal aggression, can cause traumatic stress reactions, anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders. These factors highlight the importance of creating a supportive work environment, promoting work-life balance, preventing bullying and harassment, and fostering a culture that prioritizes employee well-being and mental health.
I have had my fair share of mental health issues. Since my teenage years, I have gone through many phases of mental health issues.
I have lived with depression and anxiety when life was really tough, to just name some.
Openly talking about it is something rather new. I have absolutely not been comfortable being open with it in the past. I would hide it from everyone.
I was high-functional hence being able to do what I needed to do keeping my daughter and myself well but I could not do much else, keeping my home clean, myself in order, promises kept, and meeting people was forgone.
Some time ago I had an absolute burn-out and ended up in hospital and since then I am much more open about the struggles I went through.
Now many years later, I am in the best place mentally that I have ever been. My personal and professional development has taken me onto a path where I feel immensely better and I know how and what to do when I feel life moving in a direction I do not wish for.
My Own Experience on Damaging Effects of Poor Communication & Mental Health Consequences"
” Oh woman, be quiet, I had enough”
This was by no means the only reason, but honestly speaking, it has a negative impact on my mental health and that was the company I worked at, at that point. It was an unhealthy, unfriendly, and toxic environment.
Not per se the employees working there; however, the management that ran the company. It was a situation in which you had no way to know what was going to happen once stepping into the office in the morning.
It was not necessary that they all were openly toxic, it was rather the dishonesty from the company's side. Owners and management said one thing to only turn around and do the polar opposite.
The official and unofficial communication the organization had with us, or rather the lack of. We were not hustling enough, not making enough, asking too many questions, and openly saying that we were irrational in being concerned. We went from 65 people when I started to 12 when I left, the stress was immense. They neglected how the highly stressful work environment actually affected us. I will never forget an all-hands meeting and I kept asking things, in the CEO’s defense I had not fully started on the communication path and I know for sure that I most certainly was rather aggressive and accusing, which is never met with positive communication back. I kept asking things and the CEO just told me ” Oh woman, be quiet, I had enough”
I was shocked that the CEO was speaking like this. On another occasion when one of the owners, that was sitting in the office space with us, stood up and told us somewhat along the lines of
“ I see that we employ too many as I can see that you don’t have enough work to do as you are talking to each other, and I can’t imagine that you are talking about work. So unless it is about work, be quiet.”
This passive-aggressive communication with us, sometimes openly verbally aggressive, was normal. The extra added stress was immense for me.
My response in the office though, was to protect myself; I would engage in negative talk in the office. I would be negative and have poor communication with others in the office as well as with customers we worked with.
This was a direct result of the way the management and company communicated with us. The typical negative circle. As you treat me I will treat you. The neverending cycle does not promote any positive outcomes.
I was nowhere close to being proud of the place I worked for; leading me to not treat our customers the best. Nowhere interested in seeing myself as the company’s face out to the public, as customer service in a way is. I stalled on tasks I needed to do, as many others did. I blatantly did not do some of the tasks even, as many others did. I ultimately left the company as one day I could not get up from bed, shaking only thinking about the fact that I had to head into the office.
Again not the only reason, but the experience added to my interest in how to improve my communications skills and ultimately help others improve their own professional development and communication.
How to Promote Positive Mental Health in the Workplace as well as Improved Professional & Communication Skills
I frequently encounter stories described above among my language students. The neverending cycle of negative communication within an organization often leads to poor teamwork, reduced productivity, and, ultimately, compromised mental well-being.
I find it sad and it also annoys me to see and hear companies that boast ideals of inclusivity, transparency, openness, and awareness in their public statements while failing to uphold these ideas within their own work environments. Instead, they act closed-off, unresponsive, and even use hostile communication practices. There are many ways how to promote well-being or mental health in the workplace such as by implementing mental health support programs, fostering a supportive and inclusive work culture, promoting work-life balance, and encouraging positive communication and employee well-being initiatives. I am not saying that keeping a positive communication style is the one and only way or the salvation for mental health issues. Mental health problems are far more complex and if you feel that your mental health is unraveling, you should see a therapist. What I am saying is that positive communication skills can promote and increase well-being, teamwork, and energy in the workplace, hence not adding work-related mental problems. Below are a few tips on how to work on the communication skill part, taken from the article: What Is Jakobson's Interpersonal Communication & How to Improve Your Positive Communication Skills
Read blogs like this to increase your understanding of communication and its aspects.
Get yourself and/or your team a trainer in interpersonal communication. Can be great teamwork events!
Read books on the topic and/or behavior to understand people around you better.
Teamwork activities that foster relationships and understanding between team members and end with a joint "manifesto" on how to conduct positive communication in your workplace.
Conclusion on Mental Health in the Workplace
It is high time for companies and their leaders to move beyond mere lip service when it comes to promoting workplace well-being, fostering openness, embracing inclusivity, and ensuring fair treatment. Improving the interpersonal communication that organizations and companies have is a vital part of well-being in the office. Looking at it from the point of view of professional development as well as promoting a healthy work environment. It is imperative that we create workplaces that align with the positive image we aspire to project and discuss. Let me know your thought on the topic and what your company do to promote well-being in the workplace!