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Despite growing awareness and efforts to create supportive environments, a lot of people struggle with stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges without feeling as though they can share them at work. While you might prefer to keep your personal life separate from work, you can’t leave your mental health at home the same way you can with other aspects of your home life. You don’t need me to tell you that poor mental health can impact your overall well-being as well as your productivity, job satisfaction, and concentration. So what can you do?
Why You Might Not Feel Comfortable Discussing Mental Health at Work
Most workplaces aren’t set up for people to discuss their mental health - it’s generally more accepted to say you’re physically unwell than it is to say you’re mentally struggling. And that’s if you don’t work somewhere that congratulates people for coming in when they should be at home recovering and not sharing their germs with the entire office.
Another reason you might not feel comfortable discussing your mental health is for fear of being judged, misunderstood, or even discriminated against. This fear can lead to a culture of silence, where you feel it’s better to suffer in silence rather than seeking the help you need. This is especially true in companies that put pressure on you to perform highly all the time which can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress, leading to burnout. The expectation to "always be on" can make it difficult to take the necessary breaks or seek help.
What’s The Impact?
As well as affecting your day to day life, mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression can strain professional relationships. They may lead to miscommunication, withdrawal from team activities, or difficulty in maintaining focus, which can affect collaboration and overall team dynamics.
The stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace often leads to self-stigma. You might internalise negative beliefs about your own mental health struggles preventing you from seeking help or using available resources, further compounding the problem.
Therapy Can Help Manage Workplace Stress and Anxiety
Therapy is an effective and increasingly popular method for managing stress and anxiety in the workplace. Hypnotherapy works by combining traditional counselling methods with hypnosis. Hypnosis involves guiding you into a deeply relaxed state, allowing you to really bed in positive changes. By working together during the process, we will address the root causes of your anxiety and stress, replacing negative thought patterns with healthier, more constructive ones.
Stress and anxiety often lead to difficulty concentrating, which can hinder performance at work. Therapy can help you develop greater focus by teaching you techniques to calm your mind and stay present, making it easier to complete tasks efficiently. Another thing that stress can impact is your self-confidence. By working with a therapist you can break the cycle of negative thinking and reinforce positive beliefs about yourself, making you feel more capable of handling workplace challenges, leading to greater job satisfaction and reduced stress. It can also help you develop better emotional regulation, reducing the impact of stress and anxiety. By reprogramming your mind with positive coping strategies your long-term mental health improves.
Moving Toward a Healthier Workplace Culture
Addressing mental health in the workplace requires a collective effort. Employers can play a pivotal role by creating a culture of openness, where employees feel safe to discuss their mental health and access the support they need. Part of this is encouraging people in leadership and management positions to talk openly about things they find challenging or, if possible, their own experiences with stress or anxiety. Another thing employers can do is providing access to mental health resources, offering flexible work arrangements, and fostering an environment where mental well-being is prioritised.
If you’re struggling with workplace stress and anxiety, therapy can help by addressing the root causes and providing practical tools for managing them.
Breaking the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace is essential for creating healthier, more productive work environments. With the right support and resources, employees can thrive both personally and professionally, leading to a more positive and successful workplace for everyone.
If you need some support, get in touch today.