Have you ever been stressed out at work?  Truth is that many of us have, and sometimes it just seems like it is par for the course.  Some industries are more prone to this than others.  If you are in one of these high stress jobs, chances are you are already aware of this!  Because of this it is super important to be proactive about your own mental health and how it might be affected by your career or your employees. 

Social stigma and work cultural barriers can play a role in these types of issues being ignored.  This stress can lead to increases in absenteeism, accidents and employee turnover.  In the extreme, these environments can lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety and even suicide in employees. 

People who work in industries like healthcare, construction or other trades as well as jobs where there are long hours, high levels of pressure and other physical safety risks are all prone to higher levels of stress.  If you have ever worked in one of these professions and been told that people who have mental health challenges are just “not cut out for this type of work”, you are not alone.  This sort of business culture is toxic and can have a host of negative effects if ignored, dismissed or belittled.

In these types of work environments, there are several ways to begin to address the mental health of the team:

• You Will Need Leadership Buy-In: It is of critical importance to have managers and the leadership team modeling and supporting mental wellness.
• Having Accessible Support Services: EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) are a great start and some employers even create partnerships with local therapists.  I once had 5 different employees from one local employer seeing me.
• Implementing Mental Health Policies: These can be encouraging rest, regular breaks, and reasonable workloads.
• Employers Can Create An Open Culture: This is done by the leadership helping to create an environment where discussing mental health is normalized and supported.

To all the employers in our world, it’s important to understand that employee mental health is not just compassionate—It is strategic.  Resilient workers create resilient businesses.  For all the employees, your mental health matters, and checking in regularly with your state of being will reap tremendous rewards for you.