In previous times, we only used to have to worry about our physical health and safety while our mental health was ignored completely. Now, thankfully, we are moving into a time in which people are beginning to understand that good mental health is more important than ever before. Every workplace in the world involves people.
Even when you combine people in one space with a various mix of personalities, priorities, money, pride, and pressure can begin to cause a lot of tension. In addition to this, remote working has become a whole new way of working that is super convenient. However, this only brings further challenges as your home and work lives begin to merge into one.
Boundaries are pushed, things are left unsaid, and a certain cloud can begin to loom over your head. This is because as work is completed at home, people tend to either underwork, or work for hours upon hours in order to respond to requests after they normally would have left for the day. Many older industries are beginning to see newer companies entering the scene and disrupting the marketplace.
As the pressure begins to mount, people are trying to squeeze things in and do far more with less. In this instance, stress, worry, fear, anxiety, a lack of confidence, and depression become normal day-to-day experiences. This is not only true for employees, who have to worry about their own mental health, but leaders, who have to worry about both their mental health, and their employee’s mental health.
How Leaders Can Influence Mental Health in the Workplace
Good mental health is an absolute necessity for everyone, but not everyone has good mental health, unfortunately. However, in the workplace, leaders play a crucial role in safeguarding the mental health of everyone.
Leaders also control the flow of work, set goals and expectations that people must live up to, and put projects together to get the team started. This means that excessive workloads, unrealistic expectations, and tight deadlines are increasing stress for people and forcing them to work for longer.
Often, there is no reward for this. In other words, leaders set the tone for good mental health in the workplace. By being mentally healthy and emotionally intelligent themselves, they can encourage others and set a pace that values a healthy mindset.
Why Leaders Must Safeguard Their Own Mental Health
It is one thing for leaders to protect and care for the mental health of others. However, it is another thing entirely to look after their own mental health. Without good mental health, leaders can even begin to negatively impact the people who are around them.
Here are some reasons as to why leaders need to safeguard their own mental health for the mental well-being of their employees:
· Empathy- Leaders always need to have good mental health in order to be able to show empathy. When you’re stressed or fearful it can be hard to show and feel empathy toward others. However, empathy is what makes leaders great.
· Perception- Leaders must have good mental health if they want to be perceptive. In fact, it is one of the most important leadership qualities. Perceptive leaders can push their employees to be better while also being better themselves.
· Showing Up- When leaders are equipped with good mental health, it allows them to show up for their employees time and time again. They can keep showing up for their employees and themselves no matter what without detriment to their mental health.