Tag Archive for: 2205

How to cope with depression and anxiety in the workplace

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2022 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved.

 

Mental wellbeing is becoming a top priority for many employees. A survey conducted by the Conference Board found that 59% of employees named stress and burnout as their top concern for wellbeing in the workplace. Employees are not enticed to work in an organization where mental health is not prioritized as they do not want to sacrifice their mental wellbeing in exchange for the financial goals of an organization.

Even at an endemic stage, there is an immense sense of anxiety in individuals that are stemmed from the prolonged uncertainties before, further inducing workplace stress which can lead to burnout, regardless of going to the office to work or working in hybrid mode.

How we cope with emotions and stress can truly affect our well-being, our community, our performance in the workplace, and with the people that we care about. It is crucial that we recognize what stress looks like, what are the steps that we should take to manage workplace stress and our emotions, and when to go to a professional to seek help if required.

Poor mental health can negatively affect an individual, which can lead to unnecessary stress, thus aggravating symptoms of anxiety and depression. An employee suffering from poor mental health will see a decline in job performance and productivity, a lack of engagement and communication with their co-workers, and a decrease in physical capability and daily functioning.

Furthermore, studies have shown that anxiety and depression are associated with higher rates of unemployment. Depression interferes with a person’s ability to complete physical jobs and reduces cognitive performance, only 57% of employees report moderate depression, and 40% of those with severe anxiety and depression actually receive professional treatment to control their symptoms.

How do we know if we are suffering from anxiety and depression? Here are some known common symptoms:

  • Getting tired easily and feeling fatigued
  • Difficulty concentrating on daily tasks
  • Easily irritated by the smallest gesture
  • Difficulty in falling or staying asleep, feeling restless
  • Constant, irrational fear and worrying
  • Rapid heartbeats, hot flashes, sweaty palms
  • Changes in diet (eating too much or too little)
  • Persistent feelings of sadness or worthlessness
  • Inability to relax
  • Loss of interest in hobbies and general activities

What can an employer do if they encounter an employee that requires mental support in the workplace? Employers can promote awareness about the significance of mental health and stress management. Health programs in the workplace have proven to be successful, especially if one merges mental and physical health interventions together.

For instance, an employer can always be vulnerable with their team members by being open and honest about their mental health struggles. When a leader creates a platform that is safe for employees to confide in them, employees will feel comfortable to bring up mental health challenges of their own. The universality of this experience will translate into a massive decline, if people, especially those in power, share their experiences by normalizing mental health stigma within the society.

Furthermore, an employer can also model healthy behaviors in the workplace. When a leader preaches about supporting mental health, their actions should follow suit. Employers have an obligation to do so, so that their employees can prioritize self-care and boundaries.

Generally, employers are too focused on their teams’ well-being that they forget to take good care of themselves. A simple sharing about them taking a break when needed, or turning off email notifications, or prioritizing a weekend getaway will encourage employees to do the same so that burnout can be avoided.

There is only so much an employer can do to support an employee’s mental health, and the rest are within the employee’s own grasp to get better from their current circumstances. Here are some highly effective methods to combat stress, anxiety, and depression in the long run.

  • Adopting cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is a treatment approach that has been proven to help individuals recognize negative or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns with the use of psychotherapy by a certified health professional. CBT helps to identify and explore the ways of an individual’s emotions and thoughts that are affecting their actions. Once the patterns have been identified, they can learn to reframe their thoughts in a positive manner.

  • Exercising

Getting enough exercise in our daily routine can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression through the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain such as dopamine and endorphins, these chemicals help to enhance an individual’s wellbeing. It also assists in alleviating worries, fears and negative thoughts.

  • Utilizing relaxation techniques

Mindfulness meditation is a method to slow down an individual’s racing mind and palpitating heart by letting go of negative thoughts. It aims to re-shift an individual’s  mind to focus on the present state. This exercise usually requires an individual to sit in an upright position in a quiet room and focus on their breathing – it has been proven to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression therefore improving the quality of life

  • Consult a psychiatrist to prescribe medication

If an individual is suffering from severe anxiety and depression and the above methods might not work for now, it is best that they seek help from a mental health practitioner and if necessary, have antidepressants prescribed to help reduce worsening symptoms.

In a nutshell, even though mental health issues are quite widely known around the globe, there are still rampant misconceptions about mental health within the community. Concerns are rising as there is a prolonged delay towards individuals who are seeking help or are currently receiving treatment, this is due to various kinds of mental health stigmas such as misconceptions or little acceptance in the society, social and cultural beliefs. Hence, overcoming stigma might be a challenge as there needs to be a constant effort in increasing public confidence to seek mental health support when needed.

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General Manager, Singapore

May 2022

Successfully placed the position of General Manager, Singapore for a leading Fintech Company from China setting up its regional headquarter in Singapore

Director, Asset Management, China

May 2022
 
Successfully placed the position of Director, Asset Management for a leading logistics and infrastructure conglomerate in China

Country Manager, Thailand

May 2022

Closed the position of Country Manager, Thailand for a leading freight forwarding company from China

How to deal with bullying in the workplace

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2022 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved.

Effective strategies to combat bullying

It does not matter if we are starting our first job after graduating from college or university, or mainly switching jobs for better career opportunities in other organizations, we are bound to encounter managers or colleagues who are unduly difficult, manipulative, intimidating for at least once in our lifetime (or perhaps more if we are unlucky).

Bullying is more likely to occur in some environments than others: where a role at work creates conflict or ambiguity, where there are persistent work obstacles, or when workers have little to no autonomy, or when there is an atmosphere of fear of job redundancy and uncertainty, or just rumors of organizational collapse.

If we have to constantly put up with these toxic behaviors at work, it can be extremely detrimental to our well-being and consequently decreases our motivation and productivity at work which can lead to increased absenteeism and sick leave while organizations may struggle with poor public reputation and possible litigation.

Workplace bullying refers to intentional and repeated behavior directed at an employee that is intended to humiliate, embarrass, degrade, exclude or undermine another’s performance. This behavior may come from the management itself, supervisors, or colleagues and it is quite a miserable thing to point out, these bad behaviors are rather prevalent in the workplace.

This is often a real problem faced by many workers on a daily basis around the globe and it is not something any individual should joke about. Recognizing and addressing bad behaviors in the workplace are essential because they can help to eliminate negativity hence creating a healthy and productive work environment in the long run if effective measures are put in place.

According to “Decoding the Personality of Workplace Bullies” by Thomas Chamorro – Premuzic, workplace bullies are often seen as assertive, outgoing, and confident. Though the mentioned traits have a positive connotation to them, bullies do not have the ability to instill empathy and humility to balance these traits out.

Assertiveness and confidence are characteristics which considered to be valuable in the business world and employers may often turn a blind eye when addressing bullying in the workplace. Little do we know that, behind these obvious traits that the bully possesses, they are actually hiding behind a veil of narcissism and low self-esteem. Moreover, bullies often crave a sense of belonging, safety, and mattering. Most of the time, it is a psychological process rather than a physical one.

The 10 types of bullying behavior that are most commonly found in a workplace are:

  • Humiliation and ridicule
  • Withholding information relevant to a person’s employment
  • Delegating a person with work that is below their level of competence
  • Spreading malicious rumors and gossip
  • Shouting or berating a person
  • Removing responsibility from a person who has earned it
  • Imposing unreasonable deadlines
  • Constantly threats of violence or engaging in physical/verbal abuse
  • Regularly criticizing a person in front of other employees
  • Excessive micromanaging/monitoring of a person’s work

Once we have identified that we are a victim of bullying, we must take proactive measures to stop the abuse. The bully at work will not disappear until we do something about it. If we make ourselves an easy target, we will only encourage the bully. If we tolerate the bully’s behavior, we are indirectly training the bully to continue with their reprehensible actions.

Here are some valuable tips that we can exercise and execute if we are dealing with a workplace bully:

  • Stand up for yourself

There is a vast difference between being threatened with not being a doormat, the latter invites more aggression. If we notice that a bully is exerting behaviors and antics that are unacceptable by being demeaning and disrespectful, we should call them out by confronting the bully firmly, directly, and with strong articulation without displaying excessive emotions.

  • Do not ignore the feeling of being bullied

This is not the time to put yourself down even further. When we are being bullied at work, we would think it is a normal path that one has to go through and endure in order to get promoted or being accepted. Statements such as “I deserve it” or “Everyone gets treated this way like I do” are regular guilt trips that bullies help impose on us. Instead, we should form a plan to stop the bullying in its entirety and reclaim our position at work.

  • Document the bully’s actions

Whenever you are being bullied, document the name of your bully, the method of bullying, and details of the incident. Record the times, dates, locations, and the names of witnesses to the events. The most important way for a victim to put a stop to these torments is to gather and provide as much information and concrete evidence to your company’s manager, human resource personnel, or the legal team.

  • Keep calm before making the big move

Ensure that you have gathered sufficient evidence before approaching your manager regarding your episode with the bully. You need to be calm, collected, and professional when presenting the case to your manager, the last thing that you want is for your manager to see you as an emotional train-wreck. It is hard to structure a proper sentence or find the right words to say when you are emotional, it may instead backfire and make you seem whiny or overreacting.

In short, our days at the office should not be filled with intimidation, humiliation, and manipulation by our managers or even co-workers. While many organizations have a zero-tolerance policy, bullying may be hard to prove or even recognized if vague shreds of evidence are presented, making it difficult for managers or human resources to take appropriate actions. But for all organizations, taking actions to prevent workplace bullying is a step towards resurrecting humanity, this will be beneficial for an organization’s reputation and business cost, thus improving the overall health of their employees.

 

 

Sales Manager, Uganda, Africa

April 2022

Closed the position of  Sales Manager based in Uganda, Eastern Africa for a motorcycle tyres, tubes and oil lubricants manufacturer

Compensation & Benefits Manager, Singapore

April 2022

Closed the position of Compensation & Benefits Manager for an integrated engineering group company