Mental Health Tips For Working Professional
Mental Health for Working Professionals
As adults, we spend most of our post-twenties to the early sixties at our workspaces. This is a long period and facing work-related anxiety is quite common. However, when this anxiety turns into something disturbing, it is time we take cognizance before it turns into depression. Hazards to mental health may be connected to employment duties or schedules, unique aspects of the workplace, or chances for professional advancement, among other factors. Hence, mental health for adults as working professionals is equally important. When we talk of Indian workspaces, low wages, a toxic environment, and no timely promotion are some of the factors that lead to stress and anxiety among Indian professionals. Between all this, their mental health gets at stake and as a result, every year we see a lot of adult suicide cases due to depression and anxiety issues.Â
In addition to being a fundamental right, safe and healthy workplace environments are also more likely to reduce stress and disputes at work, boost employee retention, and increase performance and productivity. Conversely, a person's capacity to enjoy their work and perform their job well can be harmed by a lack of effective constructions and support at work, particularly for those who live with adverse mental health conditions. It can also undermine people's attendance at work and even prevent them from obtaining a job in the first place.Â
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
When we talk of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we see that physiological and psychological requirements motivate our due actions. The 5 needs are as follows, in ascending order:
Physiological
Safety
Love & Belonging
Self Esteem
Self Actualisation
When applied in today’s perspective, self-esteem and self-actualization stand at the top of the table. However, in the informal economy, where there is no legislative safety for health and safety, more than half of the world's labor is employed there. These people frequently labor in hazardous conditions, put in long hours, lack access to social or financial safeguards, and face prejudice, all of which can be detrimental to mental health.
Although psychosocial hazards exist in every industry, certain employees are more likely to be subjected to them than others due to their jobs or the environment in which they work. Workers in the health, humanitarian, or emergency sectors frequently have professions that pose a high risk of exposure to unfavorable situations, which can be detrimental to mental health. Risks associated with economic downturns or humanitarian or public health situations include job loss, economic insecurity, fewer work prospects, or an increase in unemployment.
People with serious mental illnesses are more likely to lack employment opportunities and, if they are employed, are more likely to encounter discrimination at work. A threat to mental health also exists when one is unemployed. Suicide attempt risk factors include unemployment, financial hardship, unstable employment, and recent job loss.
How Can We Prevent Mental Health Hazards At The Workplace
Managing psychosocial hazards at work is key to preventing mental health issues at work. Employers are advised to carry out organizational initiatives that target specific working conditions and settings by the government. Organizational interventions are those that evaluate workplace hazards to mental health and minimize, change, or eliminate such risks. Organizational interventions might take the form of flexible work schedules or the implementation of policies to deal with harassment and violence at work.Â
Working professionals should also ensure that they spend time with their families, and keep work at bay when at home. The fine balance between personal and professional life should always be maintained. However, when we talk of this fine balance, more than half of the working population of India works in hazardous conditions, for extremely low wages, and maintaining this balance becomes quite tough.Â
Fortunately, the government and welfare organizations are raising their concern regarding the mental health of workers. They’re creating awareness to safeguard and promote one’s mental health at work and developing programs to assist those who have mental health disorders in participating and succeeding in their jobs, and establishing a setting that is supportive of change.Â
