Why mental health at work is important
Many Canadians spend a lot of their waking hours at work. That’s why the Government of Canada says promoting mental health in the workplace benefits employers and employees by improving:
- Productivity
- Mood
- Employee satisfaction
- Staff retention
- Teamwork
There are also economic benefits by decreasing:
- Medical leave due to physical or mental illness brought on by work conditions
- The need to replace staff
- Work injuries and accidents caused by an inability to focus due to stress and other mental concerns
- Rates of missed work due to stress, exhaustion or depression
- An inability to successfully complete work
According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 70% of Canadian employees are concerned about the psychological health and safety of their workplace, and 14% don’t think their workplace is healthy or safe.
The good news is, there are proven approaches to help care for your mental well-being, whether at work or returning to work.
Starting a new job
Starting a new job can be an exciting time. It can also come with apprehension, fear and stress. It’s normal to have mixed emotions when coping with change.
As you start a new role, take time to reflect on how you’re feeling. Be aware of any fears or concerns and consider which may be worry myths or unhelpful thoughts.
You can sustainably deliver quality work when you:
- Know your limits
- Manage your time and energy
- Model good self-care
Constructive criticism
Constructive criticism can be helpful to the person getting it and the person delivering it. If the person on the receiving end feels supported and inspired when you give this type of feedback, it could be helpful for them. If you can give criticism in a clear way that effectively corrects problems or mistakes, it could be helpful for you.
Unfortunately, some of us are more likely to offer hurtful or confusing criticism. With a little reflection and practice, anyone can improve their ability to give constructive criticism.
When giving constructive criticism, focus on being helpful, specific and geared towardchanging behaviours.
Keep in mind that criticism can emotionally trigger most, if not all, people – don’t take this personally. When you feel someone reacting, that’s a chance to correct their interpretation by saying something like, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come off as harsh criticism.” Then, repeat what you value and appreciate about their efforts.
Work-life balance
Good work-life balance can help reduce the stress in your life and support your resilience.
Organization can help reduce your stress and provide more balance to your workday. By setting up your day with a list of daily goals and prioritizing your work, you increase your sense of accomplishment. Take a few minutes to tidy up your workspace and make sure the resources you need are close at hand. This can help your day go more smoothly.
Since perfect is an unattainable and unrealistic goal, perfectionism can become destructive to your well-being and relationships. Identify what is good enough and avoid the stress-inducing perfectionist approach. Here’s a short video on letting go of perfectionism.
Whether it’s a calming, energizing or relaxing break you need, have a look at these healthy break activities.
Healthy work boundaries
Setting healthy boundaries includes prioritizing adequate self-care and establishing work-life balance that optimizes energy and focus in both personal and work settings.
There are 3 types of work-related boundaries:
- Work boundaries – These define the limits of what’s required in your role, ensuring clarity about your duties and responsibilities
- Working relationship boundaries – These define the limits of what you’ll accept in terms of respectful and safe interactions with others
- Self-care boundaries – These define the boundaries of what you require to stay mentally, emotionally and physically healthy
These work-related boundaries should be established to support your success and well-being. They are not intended to be unreasonable demands or anti-social behaviours. When you look at some of the most successful people in any organization, you will be able to recognize that they have boundaries in terms of their work, their relationships and their self-care. These boundaries allow them to bring their best selves to work every day, including those days that include challenges or stressors.
You can try a short eLearning module which includes key concepts related setting boundaries at work.
Dealing with workplace bullying
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) offers this information related to workplace bullying:
- Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could "mentally" hurt or isolate a person in the workplace.
- Sometimes bullying can involve negative physical contact as well.
- Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people.
- In many jurisdictions, employers have a general duty to protect employees from risks at work. This duty can mean both physical harm and mental health.
- In general, there will be differences in opinion and sometimes conflicts at work. However, behaviour that is unreasonable and offends or harms any person should not be tolerated.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) also describes the effect of bullying on the workplace and steps employers can take to address it as well as some of the laws and legislation in effect to protect individuals from workplace bullying.
Our mental and emotional wellbeing is likely to be affected when we feel we’re the target of behaviour we experience as bullying. These situations can have a significant impact on our productivity and interactions with others.
No matter what processes or supports are available in the workplace, taking steps to protect our own health and productivity can also help us cope. At a time when it may feel that we’re being subjected to behaviours outside of our control, there are still things we can do that are within our control. This includes describing our perceptions clearly, de-stressing outside of work, and increasing our self-care. When we’re better able to cope, we’re better equipped to make decisions about whether to address, avoid or walk away from the bullying behaviour.
Of course, it would be preferable that behaviours in the workplace aren’t allowed to escalate to the point where the employee needs to take these measures. Harassment and bullying prevention focuses on preventing and responding to behaviours that are offensive or potentially harmful to others.
Reviewing your career
It’s possible to find deeper meaning and purpose while thriving at work and in life. You can start by getting clear about:
- The value and skills you bring to your work
- What you enjoy doing
- The work that feels worthwhile or important to you
- The conditions that allow you to be at your best
When it comes to your performance reviews, goal setting is the first step. Set good goals that define what you’re working on, clarify expectations and how success will be measured. Know how your tasks connect to business priorities. When your goals align with your company’s focus and priorities, you maximize your work’s impact in the organization, helping you achieve your best results.
Regular check-ins provide an opportunity for you and your leader to formally revisit the goals you’ve set, measure progress, obtain and provide specific feedback on how you’re doing, and confirm any changes in expectations so you can achieve the outcomes that make you a valued team member.
Accommodations at work
Accommodation is a human rights issue for employees with disabilities and requires the employer to adjust policies, rules, requirements and/or the built environment to ensure equal opportunities, access and benefits at work.
Reasonable accommodation means that the employer will take steps to allow employees with disabilities, including mental illness, to do their job.
An employee plan is a document that helps you identify what you need to be successful at your job.
The plan asks you to answer 3 questions:
- What do you need to be successful at your job?
- How do you want future issues to be addressed, should they arise?
- For your contribution to being successful at your job, what will you commit to?
An example of a reasonable accommodation would be providing written instructions for someone who has difficulty remembering verbal instruction.