Mental health at work has now become an important area of concern for several organizations. Half of working adults worldwide have admitted experiencing anxiety about job security, stress caused by changes at work, loneliness, and difficulty balancing work and life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the mental health data published by the World Economic Forum.
Mental health issues affect not only one’s quality of life but also work performance and productivity. Studies cited in a Unite for Sight report show that psychological issues lead to reduced income, “lowered individual productivity due to unemployment, missed work, and reduced productivity at work.”
The effects of mental health issues on workers go beyond the offices. The Black Dog Institute, a medical research institute in Australia specializing in mental health, reported that the Australian economy alone loses more than $12 billion each year due to mental health challenges. Such economic losses support the findings by the World Health Organization (WHO), which states that the cost of depression and anxiety to the global economy is US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
What organizations can do
According to WHO, among the factors affecting the mental health of employees are poor communication and management practices, limited participation in decision-making, long or inflexible working hours, and lack of team cohesion. Bullying and psychological harassment are also listed as well-known causes of work-related stress and related mental health problems.
Given that information, how can organizations take care of their employees’ mental health? Taking action on this matter requires an entirely different and mostly less-traveled or less successful path.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or CIPD reports in their Health and Well-being at Work Survey in 2019 that just one in 10 (or 9%) of organizations in the UK have a standalone mental health policy for employees.
Marcela Prescan, a performance management expert at The KPI Institute, previously wrote that performance management does focus most of its practice on the human element. She explained that a performance management system is anchored on homogeneity, which can mean several things, including having “a common understanding of the organization’s mission,” “communication that exceeds the boundaries of formality and begets familiarity,” and a “full grasp of the role and responsibilities that come with being part of a community.”
With that in mind, performance management may recognize and include the needs of employees in terms of their mental health.
Memish (2017) emphasized in their study that it is important to focus on the promotion and prevention side. According to them, “The Canadian Standard (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013) was the only guideline that adhered to all levels of the integrated approach and included extensive guidance and practical tools for the implementation of recommendations at each of these levels.”
This is the model in the Standard that shows how mental health is promoted at the organizational level.
In the diagram, the model envisions psychological well-being promotion and is implemented through key drivers and strategic pillars as an umbrella to the thirteen workplace factors. These factors are the more targeted areas to achieve the vision. As mentioned by the Standard, “addressing these factors as listed on Figure A.1 effectively has the potential to positively impact worker mental health, psychological safety, and participation. This in turn can improve productivity and bottom line results (p. 19).”
At the individual level, employees can start with small steps. The Mental Health Foundation in the UK recommends that they discuss their feelings to gather support, remain physically active to keep the brain healthy, take a break, ask for help, and reflect and value one’s strengths, uniqueness, and relationships.
Wealth building is the process of producing long-term revenue from a variety of sources. This includes savings, investments, and other income-generating assets in addition to job-based income. The foundation of wealth creation is based on effective financial planning and insight into one’s future financial goals.
Almost everyone wishes to be prosperous at some phase of life. Some individuals prefer to live frugally to save more money, while others take risks by investing in high-return assets to accumulate wealth. Everyone has a different definition of wealth. For some, it is owning property; for others, it consists of making profitable investments.
In terms of finance, wealth is defined as the number of assets you possess without your creditors. Building wealth may tend to be challenging, but it is simple. You don’t have to make six figures to make this a reality. If you are committed, you can accumulate wealth regardless of your age.
Accumulating wealth
Keep in mind that accumulating wealth does not happen overnight. Here are some strategies for expanding your wealth. To accumulate wealth over time, three basic formulas must be taken: make more money than you spend, avoid debt, and invest your savings wisely.
Before investing, you must have a consistent source of income that will last for the rest of your life. It is recommended to establish a solid savings strategy once a steady source of income has been established. Finally, it is time to invest. Step one is to make money, this may appear to be a simple step, but it is the most crucial for individuals who are just commencing out or in transition.
Most of us have seen statistics that indicate how a modest sum saved daily and compounded over time may eventually build up to massive wealth. An essential thing to consider is if your present work can supply you with a consistent quantity of savings for the next 40 to 50 years. If not, it’s time to start looking for alternatives to make more money. Earned income and passive income are the two primary forms of income.
Earned money is derived from your regular work, whereas passive income is derived from investments. To improve your earning income, you may need to first improve your career. Once you’ve established adequate financial stability, you may begin saving and investing.
There are two strategies to increase your income and return on investment. You have the option of reducing your costs or increasing your income. Most people focus on the first and ignore the second. By developing your skillset, you may improve your wealth which may include acquiring a degree, an MBA, or a specific certification all of which can prompt a career advancement and salary increase.
But as we all know, the world’s wealthiest people are not employees but entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship addresses two main components of creating wealth: income and strong returns on invested capital. In a nutshell, if you have an organizational methodology that might help you gain more profit, get started.
Then you can also take up high-paying jobs. Some of the careers, however, are too unaffordable. They may also need a significant amount of time to finish the required education, and it may take much longer before you begin earning a high income.
Before deciding on a career, you should think about all these issues. Whatever professional route you pick, make sure it does not put you in too much debt. Even if you have a job, you don’t have to rely solely on it. You may improve your income by running a profitable side hustle.
It doesn’t have to be a huge company. You can establish a small business and provide the services that you are proficient at. For example, with the advent of technology, you may now start a completely online firm. If you’re too busy, you can recruit others to operate the business for you.
During your spare time, you may convert your ability or interest into financial worth. If you have an internet connection, you may operate a variety of profitable side hustles online. These include assisting people as a virtual assistant, copywriting, online tutoring, consulting, and so on. Other non-internet-required side hustles include being a part-time lecturer at a nearby community college, freelance bookkeeping, tax preparation, and part-time driver for ridesharing or delivery services.
Setting aside your wealth
Many people live comfortably after achieving financial security, yet they do not save well. The second step to wealth building is to set aside a percentage of your earned money regularly. Once you’ve saved enough money, you may begin investing to generate passive income. There are some ways to save more money; first, creating a budget should be part of your financial plan which includes projections of your expenses versus your income.
A budget is a key instrument in the building of wealth. It provides you with a breakdown of your expenses, highlighting areas where you may cut back to improve your savings. It is best to set a fresh budget every month to keep it manageable. Such a person without allocation of the budget will almost certainly face a terrible financial collapse.
According to GOBankingRates, the fifty, thirty, and twenty rule is a common and efficient budgeting method. According to this strategy, you should spend 50% of your salary on necessities such as food, rent, and healthcare. Non-essentials, such as shopping and luxury pastimes, receive a 30% allocation. The remaining 20% is the most significant allocation, and it should be used for savings.
Building an emergency fund is the most important part because you never really know what’s around the corner. Emergency fund kits prepare you for unforeseen occurrences such as a job loss. Such incidents might throw your wealth-building strategy off track if you don’t have emergency reserves.
Selling investment or developing debts are two frequent consequences. When you accumulate loans, your wealth begins to dwindle. You’ll also have to pay interest on the loan. If you sell your investment, you will lose the money and interest that you would have earned otherwise.
To avoid such circumstances, create an emergency fund as a backup to cover unexpected expenses. Debt whether credit card debt, mortgage debt, student loan debt, or any other type — can obstruct your efforts to create your wealth. You may begin by paying off high-interest debt to save money and begin building wealth.
Living below your means can also help to save more money. Meanwhile, overspending can have a significant influence on your capacity to accumulate money. Reduce your expenditure on needless items such as dining out, buying expensive clothes, and taking frequent trips. While being thrifty might be tedious and unsatisfactory, you will acquire riches and find it gratifying over time.
Securing your wealth
You’re bringing sufficient funds and adequately saving, yet you are putting it all in safe investments, like your bank’s normal savings account. According to FortuneBuilders, if you want to develop a substantial portfolio, you must accept some risk, which means you must invest in securities. So, you should figure out what degree of exposure is best for you.
When you invest your money, it gives you more money in return. Investing your income in the stock market, and in real estate, the gold market, and bank investment can build you massive wealth over time. Purchasing stock in a firm is one of the simplest and most effective methods to generate money. You become a shareholder by purchasing shares, which gives you ownership of a portion of the firm.
Investing in equities using exchange-traded funds is a transparent and risk-free method. Real estate, private notes backed by real estate, and stocks have traditionally been the strongest wealth-building investments. This is because each of these assets can provide consistent cash flow. While other wealth-building assets can give returns for skilled investors, these are regarded to be the best.
Gold may be a valuable financial item to have in a well-balanced portfolio. This kind of investment has some of the strongest turnovers in currency markets and has often grown in value over time. It can also be purchased online or through a mutual fund distributor.
You may also buy these funds through a mutual fund distributor. Investment banking is a branch of banking concerned with the production of money via the selling of stocks and bonds to assist firms in raising cash. Investment banks serve as a link between major corporations and investors, advising firms and governments on how to address financial difficulties and the best method to generate cash, whether through stock offerings, bond issuances, or derivative products.
Building wealth is not a difficult task. If you are diligent and disciplined, you can quickly raise your money. Before embarking on this path, it is critical to empower yourself with financial knowledge. That alone should accelerate you through the other phases with ease and finally lead to wealth creation. When it comes to building wealth, many individuals ignore retirement funds. You will not only save for retirement, but you will also increase your wealth over time.
Employee burnout is one of the most common challenges being faced by companies that are now operating from the comfort of their homes.
An Ipsos survey for the World Economic Forum showed that 53% of people mostly or always worked in an office before the pandemic. The figure fell to 39% at the time of the survey, held between 21 May and 4 June 2021. Seventy-six percent of those working from home today say their set-up is a result of the global health crisis.
However, 69% of employees have been experiencing remote work burnout, according to the global online employment platform Monster. Employees who work from home have to manage work, home responsibilities, and different types of anxiety.
What is burnout? Burnout, as defined by Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson in their book “Career Burnout,” is “a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations.“
In general, employee burnout can be caused by one’s lack of ability to complete their duties, continual exposure to stressful situations, having minimum support from the community, lack of recognition, and inefficiency.
The signs of employee burnout are:
Exhaustion
Frequent illnesses, such as headaches, backache, or insomnia
Being irritated easily
Negative outlook
Low interest and low energy
Feeling empty and pulling away emotionally from the environment
Individuals who are experiencing burnout at work may not give their best performance since they are under stress. Extreme fatigue could lead to a drop in productivity and may affect any organization. Moreover, burnout could also cause feelings of futility and alienation, undermine the quality of relationships, and diminish long-term career prospects.
Some people resort to short-term solutions, such as going on a vacation. That would certainly help, but the relief they may experience is only temporary. Instead of reacting to burnout, one can prevent it before it happens.
Here are some tips that may create a lasting effect:
Establish boundaries on work schedule. When working from home, it is easy for employees not to realize that they are working overtime. Create a reminder for proper time management and mindful rest at home.
Prioritize a “me” time. A “me” time means allocating time for your own relaxation that is according to your preference. That may mean good sleeping habits, having a balanced diet, or exercising. Apart from physical workouts, one can try practicing meditation. Or one can also spend time on their preferred hobbies, such as hiking or cooking.
Try seeking a purpose at work. Discovering one’s passion through their career can be a source of motivation and other positive feelings. One can also reflect on their impact on their teammates, their company, and their community.
Reconnect. Find time to slow down and observe the surrounding. Start a new connection, like a friendship or mentorship. Interact with others to identify and activate positive relationships as well as learning opportunities. While connecting with others online could be challenging, finding some pockets of time to discuss non-work topics would be a nice break from any work stress.
Discuss work-from-home challenges with the management. Organizations should be aware of issues that their employees who are working from home are struggling with so they can implement new programs to address them.
There is no single solution to work burnout as employees may experience it in different ways. However, starting with small steps like knowing when to log off from work or how to connect with others could make a huge difference.
Money can be a sensitive issue and an uncomfortable subject to talk about for some, even with their families. Several surveys have documented the same view that society holds on money talks: a taboo. The APA survey revealed that 18% of Americans say that money is taboo to talk about with their families. Furthermore, 36% do not feel comfortable talking about money despite being stressed due to financial problems.
Why the Taboo?
In her research article, Dr. Liezel Alsemgeest from the Centre for Financial Planning Law, University of the Free State, South Africa, listed possible reasons behind money as a taboo subject in the family. First, as part of the norm, it is customary not to talk about finances. Talking about money openly is not a common practice in many societies, even in Western countries. This is passed on to the next generations through practices and habits in the family, making it difficult to change.
Second, money poses sacred and profane meanings as both a tool and a drug. As a tool, money enables people to make ends meet. However, it has the danger of becoming a drug for people as it leads to money obsessions. Examples of disorders may arise such as overspending, impulsive buying, and pathological gambling. Due to this, money becomes a touchy subject as it may mean several things for different people.
Third, money can have social and cultural connotations. Money can act as a non-verbal cue of an individual’s status in society. Furthermore, it can act as an illustration of the degree of an individual’s acceptance into society. Since this can lead to certain biases based on material possessions rather than personal qualities or achievements, people would rather not talk about money to avoid judgment.
Finally, money is often associated with feelings of power or inferiority as well as shame, embarrassment, and guilt. Money can empower an individual’s standing in society and family, leading to inequality in resource sharing and decision-making. Consequently, in line with its social and cultural aspect, openly talking about money could bring to the surface negative emotions that most people are not comfortable with. Parents might want to protect their children from worrying or feeling embarrassed while keeping their dignity and concealing their guilt.
Starting financial talks with children
As the first institution of life, the family plays a vital role in shaping and influencing an individuals’ financial values and behaviors. Family financial socialization can affect an individual’s financial knowledge, self-efficacy, and subjective financial wellbeing. This means that a child can be introduced to finances through discussions on money and how their parents handle it.
To ensure that they do not cause excessive worry and fear about what awaits their children in the future, parents need to be cautious when approaching the topic of finances. Parents may start by sharing the importance of getting a job to earn money and how it correlates to the future of their families. Parents may also share what they think about savings, how they spend money, and when they use credit cards.
This may prove to be challenging as this also exposes the good and bad spending habits of parents. However, this can be an opportunity for children to learn and develop healthy relationships with money. By gaining good habits and learning from the bad, children can eventually develop better financial habits.
Similarly, discussions such as retirement planning, long-term care, inheritance, and estate planning between aging parents and their children who are of legal age are also necessary. This conversation might be the most uncomfortable one, especially when family estrangement exists. To tackle this, finding financial professionals who can sort out finances for them can avoid disclosing sensitive information. For aging parents who are financially less prepared, communicating their concerns to their children is important to resolve any bigger issues that may arise and harm their family systems in the future.
Sharing financials with spouses
Starting discussions on money matters with a spouse/partner can be surprisingly difficult too. Some people keep financial secrets from their spouse/partner. However, it can put a strain on not only their financial health but also on their relationships as a whole.
To start opening up about financial matters with a spouse/partner, one can share their past experiences with money. These can include the money values and habits they grew up with. During these discussions, they may discover differences in handling money which might be rooted in childhood teachings.
Along with these experiences, one can also share their expectations in shouldering the management of finances. Differences in individual income and debts can also be a source of tension in an intimate relationship. However, by having these discussions, couples can learn how they handle household finances and also deepen their relationship.
Conclusion
Society needs to see discussions about money in a new light, especially in the family context. While financial issues and the stress that comes along with it are challenges that one deals with on a daily basis, people need support from the ones closest to them: their family members. This also indicates our intentional effort to build resiliency and develop a source of social support when facing financial hardships.
However, this can only happen if the silence is broken within the family setting and new norms are made regarding conversations on money. Talking about money could mean exposing one of our vulnerabilities, but it can also save us from more dire situations and even provide more hands to reach out to later on. If people continue to keep financial issues out of the discussion and hide unhealthy money spending from other family members, this ignorance can be detrimental to the family’s financial wellbeing.
Every person experiences ups and downs in their life, from everyday challenges to traumatic events. Despite these challenges, people can exhibit a remarkable degree of adaptability in face of stressful events. Some individuals may seem to be more resilient than others, but most are not aware that this is an ability that can be learned and developed.
Over the years, a lot of studies have been done on resiliency. Early studies focused on understanding its process which later changed into learning how it can help us evolve positively. Even though genetic predisposition undeniably influences one’s resilience, Erika J Wolf et al. (2018) revealed that its heritability is only 25%, whereas the rest is influenced by environmental factors.
Resilience is a complex construct that involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions. The proportion of these factors vary in different risk contexts which then contributed to the notion that it is a process. Accordingly, it can be seen as an attribute or a trait possessed in varying degrees by an individual, a dynamic process with bidirectional relations to developmental and environmental factors, and as an outcome in the face of stress and adversity. Based on this concept, here are some strategies to increase your resiliency.
Self-care
If resilience is the ability, self-care is the behavioral strategy to overcome difficulties. Self-care helps mitigate stress response to make it manageable. Moreover, practicing self-care promotes wellness and restores a sense of wellbeing during difficult times. However, people often think of self-care as a recreational activity which is not exactly true.
Practicing a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, regular physical activities, and ample sleep — all of which are basic self-care routines. Other ways to practice self-care include developing better hygiene and applying health protocols, especially during this recent pandemic. Also, rather than consuming alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substances to eliminate stress, you can instead try to explore other, healthier options such as seeking medical care when needed.
Spending some quality “me time” could also be part of self-care to balance between your professional and personal life. As the name indicates, it is more about time to give yourself all the love and positive energy that you need. Scott Barry Kaufman demonstrated in his study that 72% of participants produced new ideas in the shower which is considerably more than at their workplace. The heat and the feeling of isolation of this moment can also help unblock your thought process.
Perception in life
One can find their purpose in life through deep contemplation of what they want to do and what they’ve experienced so far, followed by developing realistic plans to achieve these goals. Working towards your aspirations in life will help broaden your view of other people’s circumstances. Being cognizant of others may help strengthen your own resilience in the face of adversity. It may also contribute to a healthier regulation of any negative emotions you may experience.
Interactions with others, however, could influence one’s thoughts, which in turn, affects one’s feelings and behaviors. Judith S. Beck (1964) hypothesized that people’s emotions and behaviors are influenced by their perceptions of events rather than by the event itself.
The key here is to challenge inaccurate thoughts which have negative impacts. Keep things in perspective by identifying and eliminating irrational thoughts. Then, follow it up by maintaining an optimistic view by learning from the past and accepting change as a part of life.
Challenging inaccurate thoughts is also needed when interpreting new information. For example, researchers have concluded that exposure to stressful experiences enhances resilience as the result of a more efficient adrenaline release. However, it only refers to exposure when stressful events are perceived as challenging rather than a threat. The thought process to arrive at this conclusion is important because literal interpretation may lead to more detrimental effects by engaging yourself in so-called ‘bad’ exposure.
Social support
As social beings, people need to rely on each other as social connections hold importance in one’s life. It promotes resilience to deal with negative emotions such as feelings of distress and worry, especially in these difficult times as all aspects of life recover from the global pandemic. Therefore, building a support network should be prioritized.
Trying to join a community could be the first step in broadening a network. Connecting with people who can understand and empathize without judgment of a person’s situation can also be a great source of emotional support, especially when experiencing hardships. Nevertheless, good communication skills are needed to strengthen the relationship such as assertive communication. Assertiveness is an effective and non-confrontational way of expressing one’s thoughts regarding a particular situation or concept.
Another thing that needs to be pointed out is that social support acts as a resource for one’s resilience. Resilience is never about facing difficulties alone with your own resources. It means knowing the boundaries of what you can do and seeking help from others when needed. While it has been mentioned that you can find support within your community, seeking help within your family and friends or formal settings with professionals is also an option.
Conclusion
Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from adverse events. As such, resilience can be learned and developed by using strategies that focus on behaviors, thoughts, and actions. Self-care behaviors, healthy thinking, and gathering social support are recommended strategies to help build your resilience.
These strategies highlighted not only internal factors but also the influence of external factors in resilience. You can try to adopt a healthy lifestyle and thinking to improve on it, but there are limitations in what you can do alone. It is also a question of how long you can survive fighting alone, especially in a period of uncertainty. Supporting each other would help enhance your resiliency.
