Mental wellness is a positive state of mental health. It is essential and being mentally well can help us lead a fulfilling life. Despite the increased attention on mental wellness in recent years, do people really know what it means?
Everyone is talking about it, from news outlets, to your colleagues to your bosses, to your family and so on. Despite the increased attention, many people still live with mental disorders and suffer from psychotic disorders in silence. Why is this so? The Government of Vietnam estimates that approximately 15% of the population requires mental health care services while independent research suggests that the figure is closer to 20% to 30% (Mah, K, 2018) of the population.
In addition, mental disorders are associated with shame and disgust in the country preventing individuals from having a healthy discussions on mental health issues. For example, “bác sĩ tâm thần” refers to psychiatrist but directly translates to “doctors who treat madness” in English.
This discrimination and cultural sigma result in sufferers being less likely to seek help when required. A joint study between UNICEF, Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and The Ministry of Labour also discovered that there has been an increasing number of youths with suicidal tendencies. Indeed, this is a pressing issue especially among Vietnamese youths within province where access to mental healthcare services are limited.
Mental wellness is important not just on a personal level, but also to organization and society. Workers who have better mental health are more productive and generate a larger amount of revenue and profit. Research has shown that being unhappy or unfulfilled by work can result in significant weight gain, larger number of healthcare appointments and higher rate of absenteeism which will definitely affect their family life, mental health and work performance thereby increasing risks for chronic illnesses and heart attacks (Mental Health America, n.d).
So how do we have a mentally healthier workplace? Some of the key tips are listed below:
Mental wellness opens communication
Having open communication channels is of utmost importance. Company can start by implementing and incorporating an open culture, where colleagues and workers can openly share their concerns and worries with each other. Moreover, if any of them are facing troubling issues, they can share with each other or share with the company’s designated counsellor.
Having a company’s designated counsellor could mean higher costs for the company but it will definitely pay off in the long run. Workers are constantly facing intense deadlines, workload and a huge amount of stress. Therefore, having an avenue where they can voice out their concerns and receive some form of social support is an effective way to reduce stress and avoid unhealthy situations
Work – life balance
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
With increasing economic growth over the years, there has been an increasing focus on the service industry. This means that a greater number of Vienamese work in high value added industries such as knowledge-intensive, high technology (Chan A, 2009) industries. With longer work hours, companies need to ensure that work-life balance is not compromised and workers still get sufficient amount of rest and play.
One example would be the Snack Friday and parties organised for special occasions such as Christmas, New Year etc. This will allow workers to interact with each other, destress and huddle together after work. Hence, this will foster greater interaction, trust and help build a stronger relationship amongst workers, reduce stress amongst them and allowing them to perform better at work.
Regular exercise
Exercising sufficiently is extremely important and brings about extensive benefits. From pumping up your endorphins, improving your mood, lowering symptoms associated with depression or anxiety (Get moving to manage stress, 2018), having regular exercise session is an effective stress reliever. Companies can sign up for a gym membership for their employees and make it mandatory for them to hit the gym at least thrice a week.
Alternatively, companies can conduct weekly classes from yoga to badminton, encouraging their employees to sweat it out, bond, reduce stress and remain mentally and physically healthy. This will definitely keep the morale and mood of the team high and increase the productivity levels of the company.
Open feedback channels between employer, managers and employees
More often than not, employer-employee relationship is the main trigger of stress for workers. It is easy to see that when one cannot get along well with each other, conflicts would arise and it would be difficult to work together on projects and campaigns. This will impede the progress of work and culminate in greater stress amongst workers.
Hence, we could create some open, anonymous feedback channels for both employer and employee to exchange constructive feedback. This way, the level of understanding between workers can be elevated and any unhappiness can be discussed straightaway. While feedback channel is an effective tool to create better relationship, it is not foolproof since employees might take advantage of it and give harsh and hurtful feedback.
This will worsen the relationship and generate even more conflicts. So, there needs to be proper safeguards in place to ensure that people do not abuse this system.
Productive atmosphere
Having a well-lit, clean, aesthetically-pleasing office with soothing classical music will definitely aid in raising productivity. Employee’s mood will be improved and they will be more energized to work. Moreover, the office needs to have sufficient space so that each employee will have enough space to work and concentrate.
Noise levels should also be kept to a minimum and any intense meetings or discussions should take place in a private room. Thus, a productive atmosphere includes having a clean environment, matching colors and design of office and sufficient space.
In conclusion, mental health wellness is essential and we should not take it for granted. While following the following 5 tips does not 100% prevent mental health issues, these tips do reduce the stress our workers already face in the world today. Stress can come from various sources, coming from relationship issues, financial constraints, family conflicts and so on. As employees spend large amounts of time in the workplace, employers can definitely do their part and create a positive difference in their lives.
Employees work really hard for the company and employers would be happy to see them succeed in all aspects of their lives. And they can do this by building a positive environment.
Bibliography
Chan, A. (2009, March 8). Services sector to be new growth engine for Vietnam. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from https://www.amchamvietnam.com/services-sector-to-be-new-growth-engine-for-vietnam/).
Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress. (2018, March 8). Retrieved December 13, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469.
Mah, K. (2018, October 18). The Mental Healthcare Industry in Vietnam. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/mental-healthcare-industry-in-vietnam.html/.
Workplace Wellness: Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2019, from https://www.mhanational.org/workplace-wellness.