Mental Well-Being at Work – “It is OK to not be OK”
In Fusion, we strongly believe that everyone has the right to “WORK TO LIVE” instead of live to work. Every single employee in the workforce deserves to have a safe space to work in and the right to go back to their loved ones. Being in the business of improving lives, a positive working environment is an integral part of a person’s mental health. Various factors, work and non-work, affects mental health and in Fusion, we’ve taken the first step to educating ourselves to identify stressors and act on them.
Workplace stressors such as but not limited to the following contribute to various stress reactions from employees:
- Work demands
- Organisational Culture
- Interpersonal Relationships
- Negative Leadership
- Job Recognition
- Job Content
The impact of Covid-19 was drastic and affected the workforce tremendously. The workforce was exposed to mandatory work-from-home and split team arrangements and teleconferencing became a norm in most companies. Over two years, adaptation was key and with minimal social interactions, it had a substantial impact and caused extreme levels of stress for employees and employers.
Practising preventive and proactive self-care techniques such as gratitude journaling, taking a break from social media, treating yourself to a movie or your favourite meal, getting sufficient rest and joining an exercise class are several ways to overcome stress.
A personalised and holistic self-care plan encourages us to devote our time on a regular basis to all aspects of our lives.
- Mind – Refers to the coping strategy and self-care practice you will use to embrace positive thinking. E.g., Reading a positive quote every day, ending the day with gratitude journaling, engaging in life-long learning
- Body – Refers to things that you will do to keep yourself physically healthy. E.g., Practicing good nutrition and healthy eating, sufficient rest, and relaxation, exercising regularly
- Spirit – Refers to things that you will practice to keep yourself uplifted; have a good feeling; boost your self-confidence/esteem. E.g., Smiling often, radiating positive energy, engaging in voluntary work
- Supportive People in your life – Refers to people who are in your natural and social support E.g., Making time for family and friends, sharing your problems with your loved ones, giving support to others, and accepting support
- Your Hopes – What do you hope to achieve as a goal within the next 12 months
- Your Energy Driver – What motivates you to thrive E.g. Your family, financial freedom, Dream home
Implementing a holistic self-care plan using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time) goal framework enables us to achieve optimal well-being and lasting happiness in all aspects of our life. Fostering a safe and trusting work environment is fundamental for having open and regular check-ins on mental well-being and workplace stressors.
As part of our leadership and culture programs that we offer in Fusion, the Universal Leadership Toolkit (ULT) equips leaders with different tools such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. To find out more, please reach out to us for a non-obligatory discussion.
To read more articles on well-being and the importance of leadership and culture in sustaining workplace safety, head to our previous blogs.
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