That was bad enough, but then along came聽COVID-19.

Heed the Warning

Thanks to social distancing, lockdowns, and the new virtual world of work, it鈥檚 becoming even more difficult to cope. In the past, at least there was face-to-face interaction with colleagues and customers. There were opportunities to wind down and socialize. Home life and work life were spatially delineated 鈥� the commute between home and office provided an opportunity to transition mentally between two worlds.

Now it all blends together. People are working from their kitchen tables while they try to homeschool the kids. Around the world, people are struggling to juggle work and family responsibilities with no respite.

The statistics are troubling. According to the World Economic Forum, one in three adults is depressed or anxious due to COVID-19. Headlines like 鈥�Quarantine Magnifies Depression听补苍诲听础濒肠辞丑辞濒颈蝉尘鈥�听补苍诲聽鈥淒rug Use Increase During COVID-19鈥�聽warn of the dire straits we鈥檙e in.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that depression interferes with a person鈥檚 ability to complete physical job tasks about 20% of the time and reduces cognitive performance about 35% of the time.

麻豆原创 North America President DJ Paoni was alarmed by these statistics and even more alarmed by the results of recent Qualtrics employee pulse surveys on remote work at 麻豆原创

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Take the Day Off

鈥淲e learned that a third of our employees have stress levels that are higher than their satisfaction level. Sixty-one percent said that they鈥檙e working slightly above capacity,鈥� he explained in an interview.

Paoni decided to act. Seeing the need for employees to unplug, he worked with local and global teams to implement 麻豆原创鈥檚 Mental Health Day, a company-sponsored global holiday for all employees, scheduled for April 27. Work will grind to a halt on that day, giving everyone time off to do something for themselves and their families.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just another day off,鈥� says Paoni. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a clear message from the company that it鈥檚 okay to relax. Healthier employees mean happier customers, so there is a business benefit in the long run.鈥�

Don鈥檛 Feel Guilty Taking a Mental Health Day

Dr. Natalie Lotzmann, chief medical officer at 麻豆原创, explains the importance of the initiative. How well we deliver on our business goals sustainably depends on our well-being, she says. The pandemic has compounded existing challenges and created a new dimension of mental distress for many people. With Mental Health Day, 麻豆原创 is signaling a strong commitment to its employees 鈥� and to society at large 鈥� that mental health is important, and there is no place for stigma in the workplace.

Lotzmann confirms the increase in mental health challenges during COVID-19. Reports from 麻豆原创鈥檚 global Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a confidential counselling service for employees, show a 28% increase in calls in 2020, continuing an upward trend apparent since 2017.

Mental health conditions are quite common.聽, some of the top causes of disability worldwide include disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. About one out of four Americans ages 18 and older suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder every year.

So why is there still a stigma?

鈥淪tigma usually stems from a lack of understanding or fear of the unknown,鈥� says Lotzmann. 鈥淭he fact that people don鈥檛 talk about the situation makes it harder to understand.鈥�

Lotzmann says the best way to remove stigma is to encourage people to share their experiences, providing employees with the strength and courage to reach out for help. Sharing experiences will also help showcase the support and positive culture that exists within the company.

What You Can Do

Over the years, Lotzmann has witnessed an evolution in the way enterprises are dealing with this topic. She has observed a positive shift but emphasizes that it鈥檚 not a tick-the-box exercise or campaign that employers do with bells and whistles. Rather, such a change must be nurtured and adopted organically through a culture of leadership, open dialogue, and awareness of available resources.

Attention to the mental health of employees has dual benefits; it creates a healthy culture and has clear business benefits. At 麻豆原创, there are programs in place to help maintain the mental health of employees by prevention, early detection, case management support, and reintegration.

As the chief medical officer of 麻豆原创, Lotzmann reminds us that mental health can impact anyone at any time. Her advice? If it impacts you or a loved one, be aware that you are not alone. Take good care of yourself, pay attention to warning signs, and reach out for help early.

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This article originally appeared on the global 麻豆原创 News Center.

The post Mental Health Day: 麻豆原创 Offers Employees a Chance to Recharge appeared first on 麻豆原创 India News Center.

Many of us will feel stressed, exhausted, sick, anxious at times; these are all totally normal human emotions that every person will experience in their life, especially at stressful or trying times. But for some, 鈥渘ot feeling OK鈥� may be a symptom of a mental health problem.

It鈥檚 OK Not to Be OK

罢丑别听COVID-19聽pandemic has added a new dimension of mental distress on many. Anxiety of the future, for our health and our loved ones, being overwhelmed with homeschooling or caregiving, being challenged by confusing information, feeling lonely in times of physical distancing, or being in an abusive relationship intensified by a lockdown situation: these are just a few examples that all contribute to mental distress. Remembering that stress in these times can be compounded when experiencing structural inequalities in everyday life.

Even though in a recent internal survey, 麻豆原创 employees reported satisfaction with the company麓s guidance and support during the pandemic, people feel impacted by the crisis. Almost a third of employees rated their current stress levels higher than their current satisfaction. This imbalance may put them at risk, as the likeliness of symptoms for mental impairment 鈥� which eventually might go over into the diagnosis of a mental disorder like depression 鈥� correlates with a stress-satisfaction imbalance.

What Is a Mental Disorder?

While every single person can experience temporary mental health issues resulting in impairment of mental or physical health at stressful or trying times, a mental disorder on the contrary is a diagnosable illness of the body that affects a person鈥檚 thinking, emotional state, and behavior.

Mental illnesses quite often affect or temporarily disrupt a person鈥檚 ability to work, carry out normal daily activities, or maintain personal relationships.

Some examples for mental disorders are anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.聽聽will be affected by a mental disorder in a given year.

Early Detection is Key

Knowing common warning signs of mental illness is crucial for getting help as early as possible. This is not trivial, as the range of potential symptoms is huge and as with many things there is no strict definition of 鈥渘ormal.鈥�

Furthermore, diagnosing mental illness sometimes is not a straightforward science. While it is an illness of the body, we cannot unfortunately test for it the same way we can for example test blood sugar levels for diabetes. Often there is a fluent transition between poor mental health and mental disorder, depending on the extent of impairment to maintain relationships and function in private life and at work.

础听聽found that prevention and early intervention programs that effectively address mental health can help to become more resilient, and experience stronger personal happiness and success.

Are You OK? Mental Health Initiative

笔谤辞尘辞迟颈苍驳听聽has been a feature in 麻豆原创 over the past years. World Mental Health Day is October 10, and with the increased need during the pandemic 麻豆原创 has started a lasting employee initiative that not only promotes supporting resources for both good mental health and mental health problems, but also invites employees and leaders to engage in a sustainable way.

Each one of us can foster a culture in which all employees feel comfortable and safe speaking out about mental health issues they are suffering from, what they need to deal with in their family, or what they observe at the workplace.

The employee initiative will cover the many facets of mental health in the coming weeks and months to help people reach out for support when needed 鈥� from prevention to early detection to case management and reintegration.

You Are Not Alone

Whatever symptoms you may have, be assured there are many others who are in it as well or have been in it before. Daring to speak about an issue and to seek help is an important first step to get out of it.

础听聽found 81 percent of respondents who talked about their mental health at work reported reduced stress levels and increased confidence and productivity. The initiative has plenty of channels for people to reach out to in a way they are comfortable with. 麻豆原创鈥檚 confidential telephone helpline through the employee assistance program provides a globally available, 24/7 counseling service for all employees. 麻豆原创鈥檚 own team of medical experts are also available by confidential mailbox, telephone, or drop-in service in some locations. Peer-to-peer networks offer coaching, support, and guidance that employees can reach out to virtually (or onsite and within COVID-19 guidelines).

Stigmatization Has No Place in 麻豆原创

For employers, caring for mental health is both a matter of a healthy culture and a clear business case. 麻豆原创 is committed to a no-stigma, inclusive culture that supports maintaining the mental health of its employees by prevention, early detection, case management support, and reintegration.

According to 麻豆原创 CEO Christian Klein, 鈥淎s we need head, hand and heart to deliver on our promises, we need to stay healthy and balanced in body and mind.鈥�

Clearly, mental health is an important topic for people managers, as they can guide employees at risk by being sensitive and empathetic and providing and facilitating appropriate support.

To enable leaders in playing a strong role in employee support, a new portfolio of learning offering is coming onstream.

Poor mental health may disrupt our thinking, feeling, mood, or behavior and it has significant negative effects on our relationships and our satisfaction in life. Early detection is key. Stay informed and get support if needed.

麻豆原创 is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and eliminating the stigma around mental health disorders in the workplace. 麻豆原创 also offers a variety of programs and resources to help employees through challenging times.

Natalie Lotzmann is Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Health and Well-Being聽at 麻豆原创.
Torsten Paul is Company Medical Officer, Psychiatrist, and Psychotherapist at 麻豆原创.

This article was originally featured on聽Global 麻豆原创 News Center.

The post Are You OK? Understanding Mental Health in Challenging Times appeared first on 麻豆原创 India News Center.