Understanding Mental Health At Work

What do we mean when we are talking about ‘Mental Health’? How do I notice signs of poor mental health in myself, loved ones or work colleagues? And what can I do about it?
If you ask yourself any of the above questions, then this introductory track is for you.
It will explain what mental health is, our systems capacity for stress, how to notice common signs of struggling with stress, offer tips on reaching out to someone you are concerned about, and free, simple ways to nourish & replenish your mental health.
Please note that this is not training. It is information on core foundations that we all need awareness of.

Transcript

This is for humans who live and work with other humans, Who want to understand mental health more from a lay person's perspective, So that you can understand yourself and others a little more, To be more confident in having appropriate and supportive conversations, And be part of a healthier humanity, And in particular a healthier and more supportive workplace. The approach is simple and light touch, Focusing on core elements that are important for us all to understand, Because this is a topic that affects us all. We will begin by defining mental health, Then move on to cover our system's capacity for stress, Noticing poor mental health in yourself or others, Reaching out to others to support them, And evidence-based things you can do to nourish and replenishing your mental health. If at any point you are concerned about your own or someone else's well-being, Please do reach out to an appropriate professional for support, Or someone in your life who is able to help you do that. If you're listening to this particularly in relation to your workplace, Please note that regulations are different in different countries. You will be able to find out about workplace standards in different countries by searching online. For me, This is about being more human with each other, Increasing collective understanding, Breaking down stigma and normalising the fact that sometimes we become unwell, And the majority of people are able to recover and have a fulfilling and positive life. And mostly, It's about supporting each other when we're just having a tough day. Please note that I do not go into supporting in crisis, Because I feel that this format is not a safe and thorough way to do that. So let's start with defining mental health. I think it's always a good idea to start with clarifying what we are talking about. And there is still a lot of misunderstanding about what we mean by the term mental health, Not least because of centuries of stigma and discrimination in much of the world against anyone living with mental ill health, And judgment against the thing itself. Indeed, A lot of people still believe that they just don't have mental health, Just like a lot of people still believe that they don't do emotions. However, I have a feeling that I'm preaching to the converted here. I suspect that you are well aware that mental health is a real thing, And that pretending it doesn't exist gets us nowhere. The World Health Organization defines our health as mental, Physical and social, Which makes sense. These are all key elements of being human. It also means that we cannot actually separate out our mental health from our physical health and our social health. They are inextricably linked. In this course, Though, We are keeping it simple and focusing on core information about mental health, Despite the fact that the intricacies and interconnections are deeply fascinating. The core definition of mental health is the state of our thoughts, Feelings and behaviors. Our feelings are emotions that we have attached meaning to, Which impact our thoughts, And our thoughts impact our behaviors, How we express ourselves, Whether consciously or subconsciously. The phrase mental health does not refer to good or bad health. Just like when we talk about physical health, We are not talking about it being in a good or bad state. We are just referring to physical health, Something we all have. So we all have mental health. And like our physical health, Our mental health fluctuates throughout life. We can become ill. We can recover. We can have reoccurring issues. It can be difficult to know the cause, Or it can be blatantly obvious why we are struggling. And of course, When we are in poor health, We are more vulnerable and more in need of support from others. The fact that we all have mental health, And that experiencing poor mental health is common, Means that talking about it, Understanding how it shows up in us, Creating cultures of more willingness to support others and reach out for support for ourselves, Are all crucial for healthier individuals and communities. So what is our system's capacity for coping with the struggles and the challenges of life? And how does that relate to becoming unwell or struggling a bit with our mental health? Stress in life is a given. There are constant stressors to keep us motivated, Things we need to deal with, Got to put food on the table, Keep a roof over our head. We experience things like illness. We listen to the news. And some things are, I guess, Mundane stressors. Getting up, Getting the kids to school, Things like that. Difficult and part of normal life. Other things are eustress. They're really positive forms of stress. And that can be personal differences. Some people love performing and being on stage. And then other things are distressing by nature. And our systems are incredible. They can get us through the most stressful and difficult of times. But they can only hold so much. There does come a time when something's got to give. And we can think about our systems, To put it really simply, In terms of container. Stress coming in. And that can be building on top of retained stress from something that we have not processed or healed from. It can be the little bits coming in on a daily basis. It can be a whole load of stress coming in from a particular event or challenge in life. And as the stress builds up in this container, The strain starts to show. And that's where we start experiencing poor mental health. And that can be mild to begin with. But obviously the more that stress is retained and the more it builds up, The more things come in without being released. The more likely that that experience of poor mental health can become much more problematic for us. And it will take longer to recover from. And of course sometimes the thing that triggers poor mental health is purely genetic. We all have different genetic makeup and we all have tendencies towards different responses in our system. And I'm sure you're aware that there are specific workplace stresses. Being in employment and having work can be something that really protects our mental health. We need meaning. We need purpose in life. There is a stability in having that income coming in as well, Which supports us. So work can be a really nourishing thing to our mental health. But it can also be really detrimental. And that could be the workload. It could be relationships at work. It could be a toxic environment. It can be many things. So it can be detrimental to our mental health, Even when we love our job. Now we use the term burnout a lot but it's useful to understand that burnout is an occupational phenomenon, Which means it is specifically workplace related. So the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases defines burnout as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. And it's characterized by three dimensions. One, Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion. Two, Increased mental distance from one's job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job. And three, Reduced professional efficacy. Experiencing burnout or risk of burnout can be due to systemic issues, Bullying, Untenable workload or an unsupportive line manager. So it can be a whole array of things and often workplace stress can come down to one factor or even one person. There is a saying that people don't leave their job, They leave their manager. We know that human relationships have a huge impact on us. That's not to say that the majority of mental health issues that caused work are to do with other people, But it is an important factor to recognize. But whatever the stresses are that are building up in our system, We need to have effective ways to release the stress as part of our everyday living. A holiday once a year is lovely if we have that privilege, But it doesn't keep us well. Daily nourishment and decompression does and we'll come to different ways that can support that in the last lesson. We also have times in life where there is a build-up of stress and we may not notice just how much stress we are holding in our system. When we're put into a particularly stressful situation, We recognize it and we react in different ways. Sometimes we can't cope with it, Other times we're more like, Right, Okay, Let's deal with this and then afterwards we recognize that's been difficult, I need to look after myself, Full of stress, What do I do about it? But when stress is building up slowly and then keeps going, For whatever reason in life, We often don't notice and pick up the impact that's happening. We almost get into a perspective of normalizing it, That's just how it is, Rather than stepping back and thinking, Hang on a minute, This is not normal, This is building up, This has been going on, And taking time to be aware of that. It is so easy to just keep going because we've got so much going on in life and that everyone else around us has as well. The more awareness we have of how our mental health is at any given point, Means that we have more autonomy to do something about it. If you'd like to know more about the importance of awareness, How that feeds into having more choice in life and then empowering us and building our self-efficacy, Then check out my track Awareness Choice Power to understand this further. We thought about our capacity filling up with an overload of stresses and retained stress, But what might that look or feel like? How would we notice it in ourselves, And how might we notice it in others? Let's start with you. You may or may not have heard the term stress signature. Our stress signature is how stress tends to show up in us as individuals, In our thoughts, Feelings and behaviors. And of course this may be very different if we're suddenly hit with an intensely stressful situation. Here we're focusing on our patterned responses when we experience a build-up of stresses. So I know in my body I tend to hold tension in my jaw. That's an old patterned behavior. But when the stress builds up, I know that that tension travels down my neck and into my shoulders. When it keeps on building up, It then travels up into my head and over my skull, And I start to get headaches, Which is really unusual for me. In terms of my thoughts, I'm not good enough. Type thoughts will get in the way, But I'll also struggle with decision making. And in terms of my behaviors, I can really come across as a sort of micromanager. I want to control little details more. So those are really useful for me to understand. When I start feeling that shift in my body, When I start hearing those thoughts more often and they're getting louder, And when I start behaving like that towards other people, Or just even in my own space, I know that I'm starting to struggle and I need to stop and think about what I need. So what's yours? What's your stress signature? And if you don't know, Sometimes the behavior one is harder to pick up on in ourselves. But someone who knows you well, Someone who loves you, Will know what your stress signature is. So if you're curious and are happy to do so, Ask someone. Okay, So what might we notice in others? Well, The key thing is change. If we know them well, We will likely see a change in them that doesn't feel quite right. If we don't know them, It is harder to tell. Changes we might notice often relate to core needs and behaviors. So for example, Sleep. Someone may be sleeping more or sleeping less. Someone may eat more or eat less. Someone may well take better care of themselves, Or seemingly better care, More makeup, Things like that. Or they may take less care for themselves. And then social connection. People may have a tendency to be louder or quieter and withdraw socially. We all seem to have a tendency to go one way or another with all of these things. And of course, People mask really well. When people ask how we're doing, When we're struggling, We say, I'm fine, When we don't really mean it. So we can only notice what we notice. And it's important to note that many people are nervous about reaching out to talk to someone and asking for that space to talk through things. So reaching out to offer if we are concerned about someone or we have noticed something, A shift in them, Can be so useful for people and so supportive. But also many of us are nervous about doing that, Are concerned about reaching out and asking someone, How are you really? My aim here is to offer something manageable and foundational for offering a compassionate listening ear when someone may be struggling. Because many people are cautious about approaching someone they are concerned about. Whether that is because of cultural norms, Worries about where the conversation might go, Or something else. However, It is evidence-based that kind compassionate reaching out and offering a space to talk without trying to fix anything, Without panicking, Can give the message that people are not alone and it can help people find a pathway to recovery. Or even simply they're just struggling a bit, Reconnect back in with, Yes people are here for me, That makes me feel so much better. Please remember that this is not intended to be a training or equip you to be a mental health first aider. Okay then, Some simple and key things to be aware of. Firstly, That person is not yours to fix. That's not on your shoulders and it's also not respectful to try and do that. Secondly, If you don't feel safe approaching someone, Don't. Reach out to someone else for advice on what to do in that situation. And thirdly, If they are in crisis, Get help straight away and do whatever you can to maintain safely. As I said earlier in the course, We're not going into this in detail. Showing up compassionately, With everyday human interest in someone as a person and having a chat, Supporting, Diffusing a situation while you wait for help, Is helpful and useful and has a really high chance of positive outcomes. Okay, So more generally, Putting the kettle on and offering a space to chat can be gold dust for someone who is dealing with a lot in life. You will know from your own experience in life, No doubt, The power of being listened to well. When you need to talk and someone is able to simply be with you, To listen and allow you to feel seen and heard. As I said at the beginning, This is about being human with each other. Beyond that, Keep it simple. Ask how you can help and let them lead. Stick to what you feel equipped to do. Boundaries are crucial for you and for them. Being someone's only support is not kind to either of you and nor is it safe. So keep your boundaries and the support you do offer, If they want it, Can be hugely invaluable. Avoid advice and opinion and please do not try to label or diagnose anything. Those of us who aren't trained professionals should not step into that space of being a therapist or an advisor. It is not helpful or safe. We also need to be mindful of stigma. A lot of people face stigma and discrimination because of mental health struggles or because they just hear how people around the office talk about things like anxiety or flippantly talk about being OCD when they're not clinically diagnosed. All these things make it harder for people to believe that there are safe spaces to talk. Many people don't feel safe at work to talk about their emotions or mental health, But just offering that listening ear could make the difference. You never know just how important a listening ear could be to someone. Open conversation and support at work are crucial for the well-being of individuals, For the well-being of teams, The well-being of the organisation and so the well-being and sustainability of the business. Open and compassionate conversations and effective support structures are key elements of stress release, Maintaining positive mental health and recovery from poor mental health. So many of us are fearful of saying the wrong thing. The thing is, When someone is struggling there is rarely anything we can say to make it better. So it's best not to try and make it better through words that we're just saying in an attempt to fix things or make them feel better. Being there, Listening, Acknowledging them for sharing or acknowledging how hard it sounds for them is showing compassion. And that's where the gold dust lies. From there we can ask how can I help and that can go a long way so long as we are clear about what we can and can't do to help them and are prepared to communicate that. What we can't do to help them is where we signpost them to someone who can help them with that. And of course we need to have our own support in place and in our own ways to look after our mental health and replenish it when it's taken a hit. Taking care of our mental health requires a holistic approach. A variety of ways that nourish different parts of us in different ways. It's worth noting that the more we are struggling the harder it is to decide to care for ourselves and to take action. Plus the impact of nourishing activities or things may be smaller when we're struggling. This is normal. One of the key things about self-care though is that it is autonomous. When we do things that make ourselves feel better even if just a little bit we build our agency and self-efficacy which is a nourishment to our mental health in itself. The things we do for our mental health also needs to be responsive. What I mean here is that doing something because we think we should or someone else has told us we should doesn't mean it will help. This is why checking in with ourselves and being curious about what we need or trying something out and then being curious about the impact it has or hasn't had aids us in finding effective self-care at any phase of life. We need to look after our mental health with water, A healthy diet, Movement, Meaningful connections, Tending to a purpose in life, Putting our energies where we do have control, Deeply human experiences such as music, Storytelling and other creative activities and of course expression of our feelings such as talking, Drawing, Writing, Dancing. We talked about reaching out to others to support them but what about when you need support? Are you someone who bottles it up or doesn't want to bother other people? If so please remember we are pack animals, Sociable creatures so we need other humans to share the wonders of life with and also to process the tough stuff with. It is crucial to ensure your own support is in place in work and outside of work. Talking not only allows us to not be so alone with something it also gives us a channel to process what we need to process and physically when we talk our diaphragm loosens up. When we are stressed our diaphragm becomes inhibited through the tension around it which increases cortisol which makes us even more stressed. So just talking can release some of this. Crying, Laughing, Exercise and having a good old rant also gets our diaphragms moving. As I said at the beginning it is all connected. So what part of you could do with a bit more nourishment these days and how could you access that? If it's music, Movement, Writing or meditation perhaps there is another track or course on here that could help you with that. I invite you to go and do something simple for your self-care now and if you really don't have even a minute or two for that commit to it later in the day.