Improved Mental Health; An Assured Pathway To Productivity At Work

Depression in the workplace can sometimes be unclear while it goes undetected. But it is noteworthy that some noticeable symptoms can reveal that a colleague is facing a mental disorder, perhaps depression.  

You could have probably witnessed a vibrant colleague suddenly staying quiet, or an employee having a surly demeanor, feeling anxious, or probably unusually losing interest in work. They could even start constantly resuming late to work or missing work, these are noticeable symptoms especially if such persist. If you notice these symptoms, then it is time to delve deeper to know what is going on with the person in question. Note that the symptoms of depression vary based on individual differences and situations at hand.

In Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that 3.9% of the nation’s population suffers from depression, also additional 2.7% of the nation’s population suffers from anxiety disorders while there is an increased rate of suicide over the years that are traceable to mental illness such as depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Many employees have found themselves in this position mostly because they are not comfortable sharing details of their mental health for fear of being misjudged. However, there are no right measures or treatments put in place to check the mental state of employees in most organizations largely because they do not prioritize to keep a tab on the employees’ mental state.

So it is pertinent to ask; how then can organisations help to improve the mental health of their employees to also allow them to carry out their tasks effectively?

• Maintain an open-ended conversation with your employees: Having this type of conversation cannot be overemphasized. What this does is to allow the employees to become free to share their current state of being with their managers or even the employer, so that areas where employees require support is put into consideration to help them rather than making them face the challenges alone. They do not have to deal with how to get healed of this mental illness alone. Employees should feel fully supported by their colleagues and employers especially when faced with personal challenges.
• Flexible working hours, as well as flexible office culture, can help reduce stress: Covid-19 pandemic and the new normal has shown that this is possible. Employees should not be boxed into the stereotypical 9 to 5, Monday to Friday working hours, or having to physically appear at work every day. The work-life balance should not be a thing of the past and should be reviewed by adopting the new trends. This gives the chance to avoid stressful situations and also gives time for the mentally depressed person to schedule and attend a meeting with a doctor or psychologist.
• Build trustworthy work environments: No employee should be subjected to an environment where they cannot speak up and also where their works are not being appreciated, it can reduce the morale of the employee which can lead to depression. Hence, the office should be an environment that relies on trust, honesty, and fairness from both the employee and employer.
• Office beautification can also psych up employees and boost productivity: It can enhance the mental being of the employees. Being in a clustered office or environment can increase the stress level or agitation of the employee. It is important to look into the lighting of the office; this is because Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can cause depression due to seasonal changes. Moreso, a study carried out by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) found that staff with plants placed in their office space showed a 30-60% reduction in stress levels over three months. So adding plants to enhance your office scenery will help the stress level of the staff and increase productivity by 15%.
• More importantly, organizations should provide mental health resources: These resources will educate, inform, and will serve as a guide to the employees. A survey can be carried out by the management to know the resources that are available to the employee and how they can access them, if they do not have access to these resources, the organisation can make such resources accessible to them.

In a nutshell, it is believed that depression is a feeling that will just go away simply because the depressed person has been advised to snap out of whatever sad feelings they have at that moment. Unfortunately, it is not a character defect or some sort of weakness that the person can snap out of, it is as serious as any other ailment but just like most ailment, it can be prevented as well as treated.