Mental Health at Work: Creating a Culture of Wellness

                                                                                                                             Submitted by

Dr. Preeti Pandey

Faculty of Chemistry

Preeti.pandey@kalingauniversity.ac.in

Researchers have long been interested in workplace culture since it impacts employee attitudes, behaviour, and overall organisational outcomes. In order to address challenges associated with internalisation and external adaptation, a society forms its culture as a collection of widely accepted fundamental principles. Newcomers receive these fundamental beliefs as the appropriate framework for perceiving, experiencing, and handling such occurrences. The importance of an employee’s mental health in determining their general health is becoming more widely acknowledged. Workplace stress and mental health problems can also influence numerous physical disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Another effect of poor mental health is employee burnout, which has a major negative impact on an individual’s capacity to actively contribute to both their personal and professional lives. Multinational research indicates that employees are increasingly quitting their jobs due to mental health issues. Mental health greatly impacts an organization’s productivity and well-being, especially in the context of remote work and increased international competition. A wellness culture that prioritises mental health encourages increased productivity, more adaptability, and personal growth. Ignoring mental health can lead to problems such as weariness, worry, and hopelessness, which can impede organizational growth and teamwork. More people are recognising the importance of mental health, yet issues like stigma, a lack of resources, and stressful work environments persist. In order to overcome these challenges and promote a culture of health, organisations must take the lead. Fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, offering services like counselling, EAPs, and mental health education, and holding candid conversations about mental health concerns are essential. Managers can set an example for transparent communication by sharing their own stories and paying attention to the worries of their staff. A psychologically healthy workplace can also result from promoting stress management programs like wellness seminars or mindfulness training, as well as by permitting flexible work schedules, vacation time, and distinct boundaries between work and play. By tackling these problems, organizations may boost worker productivity, adaptability, and creativity, which will eventually guarantee long-term success in the evolving workplace.

Citation from- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062016/