Maintaining mental health in a high pressure environment

At RG, our people work in what can be a high-pressure environment where busy spells involve long hours and technically challenging tasks. We all know that maintaining positive mental health is really important and so we’ve taken the opportunity in this article to set out our thoughts on how this can be achieved.

We’ve approached this article from two sides: one being what can the employer do to improve and promote good mental health in the workplace, and secondly, what the employee can do to maintain their mental health.

Employer

For the employer, there are many things you could do to improve the team’s mental health, but sometimes the easier win is what you shouldn’t do. The Great Resignation during Covid showed everyone that the status quo had changed, and it’s more important for the employer to now think about making a work place the best place it can be for staff.

  1. Gratitude

Gratitude is essential when the team works long hours. In this post-Covid-lockdown world, remuneration doesn’t quite cover the cracks as much anymore, because people care more about their time. The T2 Hubcast outlines 4 pillars of expressing gratitude, with each thank you being:

Timely – when you say thank you it should be done as soon as possible. Saying thanks 3 weeks later simply doesn’t land as everyone has moved on, but also people can be left in those 3 weeks thinking does my boss not realise the effort that went into completing that task? The earlier the thank you is delivered the better, as it helps close the task but maintain maximum motivation.

Balanced – similar to being timely, the environment for gratitude should be balanced. We are all very quick to provide feedback when something hasn’t gone to plan, but the working culture needs to be balanced so that if that is the case, positive feedback and gratitude are  expressed equally as fast and as honestly.

Specific – the gratitude you express should be specific as to what you are grateful for. A general thanks for “all your hard work” has reduced impact because the recipient may think there was a certain task they did that warrants special mention. A whole team may have done a great job, but a general thanks to the whole team when individuals may feel like they have gone above and beyond could leave them feeling low and unmotivated.

Meaningful – the thanks should be sincere. The recipient has to believe that their input is appreciated, otherwise this can impact on their motivation and mental health.

Whilst feedback is one way of expressing gratitude, there are other things an employer can do to show thanks beyond remuneration such as regular social events and workplace treats.

  • Creating an environment where people can talk

Creating the right environment for people to talk is crucial. There are many initiatives out there whereby employers can create an environment where people who are struggling can feel like they have somebody to talk to. At RG our firm is signed up to an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme). This enables anybody in the firm to access a confidential programme to help them deal with personal and professional problems that could be affecting home life, work life, health, or general wellbeing. Employers now have to realise that not all personal problems can be left at the door, and that employees may need additional support at work. Sometimes it’s even the case that employees come to work to escape a situation at home.

Ultimately, it is in the employer’s best interests to create a safe and healthy environment for their team. A happy person is a more productive and focussed person. But when we spend 8-10 hours a day with somebody, we get to know them well and it’s important to know they’re ok. Encouraging engagement amongst the team, whilst respecting personal privacy, is no bad thing.

  • Flexible working

Covid has accelerated beyond anybody’s expectations the flexible working environment. Here at RG, we’ve not been prescriptive on the number of days you have to be in the office, or which days of the week the team need to be in. There is trust that people will do the right thing. For people with children this takes a significant mental strain away knowing that there is one less thing to worry about when it comes to pick ups because we can manage our time. The stress of managing a high work load whilst rushing to collect a child stranded at the school gates cannot be understated. In a high-pressure environment this means that we can work more efficiently and effectively, and it frees up a significant amount of head space.

  • Look out for the signs of burnout

This is a hard one to address in a high-pressure environment. Coaches, team leaders, and colleagues need to look out carefully for the signs of burnout in individuals and teams. People who are at the limit are more likely to snap, but also have an increased risk of making a costly mistake. The Canadian Medical Journal found that doctors who showed signs of burnout are 2.2 times more likely to make mistakes. Anybody who makes a mistake will tell you that the impact on mental health from making a mistake is monumental, it reduces confidence and focus significantly. Teams can each other help by taking away significant workload pressures, encouraging early finishes when needed, or forbidding weekend or late night working. The employer can also help avoid over-working by ensuring the team is appropriately staffed. Discussion with regards to deadlines with the client is also important; signing the team up to impossible deadline is simply irresponsible.

You can access a free webinar later this year hosted by diversity, equity and inclusion experts, EW Group, (part of the eQuality Solutions Group, a client of RG) on the signs of burnout, how we can manage it, and raising awareness. The link for it can be found here https://theewgroup.com/events/avoiding-employee-burnout/. This brings us nicely onto self-care, as looking after oneself is very important too.

Self care

Whilst the employer has a duty of care and a responsibility to create a safe working environment, individuals also have a personal responsibility to maintain their own mental health and wellbeing. We’ve set out some considerations below as to what people can do to help maintain positive mental health.

  1. Know your limits

Burnout is a significant issue in today’s digital world. We can work from anywhere at any time. Gone are the days of “the office closes at x time”; with better access to Wi-Fi and remote working, professional life can be 24/7. But it is essential that we listen to our bodies and know when we are at our limits. Once you go past your limit it can be hard to come back. Mental Health UK has a great article on burnout and how to spot and manage it (https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/).

Knowing when to stop is always important. Many of us will often work late to get ahead of the week, however on reflection, how many times do those extra hours take away any pressure during the week?

  • Take holidays

We have a holiday allowance, and it’s important we use it and  switch off from work when we are on holiday. It can take 2 or 3 days to unwind and to allow our bodies and minds to decompress. This rest/break is essential and it’s important we respect ourselves enough to take time out. In a high-pressure environment, we may feel that we need to be always available for our clients should there be an issue. However, our clients want the best version of us and the best version of us is the healthiest version. It’s therefore important to use the strength of the team we have to let them step up in these circumstances. It is important for employers and colleagues to respect holidays and to allow this time away. 

  • Exercise

Exercise is a fantastic way to let off steam, whether this is a run, cycle, walk, or anything else. Having that break to take out frustration or switch focus does us a huge amount of good and takes tension out of our bodies. The NHS website recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Even a quick 10-minute walk away from your desk during the day can bring significant benefits.

  • Friends and family

Making time for friends and family is also important.  During busy periods we should still make time to see people. Whether this is a quick call or a coffee with a loved one, this will improve our mental health considerably.

Maintaining positive mental health is essential. It is important for the employer now more than ever to create a safe working environment, but it is also important for us ourselves to take control. If you struggle with managing your mental health, do seek advice and support.

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