Building Mental toughness in the workplace: Employee mental health isn’t improving, so how can HR support resiliency?
Resilience, AKA the mental toughness quotient, is being tested and failing in the workplace.
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. As employees return to in-person and hybrid environments, it is clear the status quo has not returned to what it was.
So how can resilience be supported to help employees (and the C-suite) manage and rebound from ongoing volatility?
Companies must address anxiety head-on.
Pretending the storm didn’t happen is wishful thinking. In a podcast with leadership experts, Brene Brown and Dr. Linda Hill, Dr. Hill has found that top-tier leaders want employees to just “get over it.” While it would be nice to just pick up where we left off before COVID hit, it is just not reality.
"More than half of all employees say their mental health deteriorated since the beginning of the pandemic, according to research from The Conference Board. Women have suffered at a higher rate than men.
That probably doesn’t surprise HR pros though. You witness it almost daily in practice: More employees than ever have quit. Many requested or just took leave. Others complained about incivility. And you’ve probably had increased demand for mental well-being resources.
Not to mention, many employees aren’t engaged or as productive as they once were."
Adopting a stiff upper lip and rolling with the punches is a resiliency skill that is not automatic. It must be fostered. That process starts with the recognition that ongoing challenges exist in the first place.
Investment in the skill of resiliency may seem like a distraction from the work at hand, but it is worthwhile. Storms will inevitably keep coming, so brushing it under the carpet just creates a bigger cleanup job in the end. The dirt that accumulates becomes a stumbling block for productivity. In order to prevent burnout and disengagement, we must consistently work on our mental janitorial skills. Taking care of your well-being and effectively processing negative events will help employees and leaders rebound.
Think of it like adding lycra to your mind.
So what adds elasticity to our mind?
Building and maintaining a foundation on the basics of mental wellness.
Research has found eight keys to optimizing mental performance and they all play a role in building resilience.
They include having clear periods of time for goal-oriented thinking, getting enough quality sleep, emotional intelligence, time to play, relaxation, exercise, interacting with people and nature, and following brain-boosting nutrition tips.
Does this sound like common sense?
It is.
But, common sense does not necessarily translate to results. Many of the steps companies have been taking are not working and mental health is continuing to slip.
Attending to brain health is how companies get ahead of burnout, but how to do that is not easy. Consider the difficulty of the alternative, however.
What happens when you neglect brain health or fail to find methods that work?
Here is an example of how this can play out when we sweep our mental wellness under the rug.
Lack of interaction in person (yes, zoom) creates difficulty in establishing trust.
Limited physical contact can quickly decrease oxytocin levels, leaving us feeling isolated and even more stressed. When oxytocin drops, cortisol rises, negatively affecting our immune system. A depressed immune system leads to illnesses of all kinds, which certainly impacts productivity. This cascade ultimately results in the deterioration of mental and physical health, leading to attrition. Sound familiar?
How do we effectively build our happy hormone (oxytocin) and decrease the stress hormone (cortisol)?
There are multiple strategies that include staying in touch with your support. These are just a few concrete ways to do that:
Address anxiety head-on by
Communicating more openly
Using more appreciative words
Building trust
This is more challenging in a virtual world, but not impossible. More attention is required to make that connection happen across the digital divide, and a return to in-person is requiring some adjustment as well. Companies are discovering more than ever that social interaction is a crucial piece of mental optimization and productivity.
While this is a crucial beginning, a far more comprehensive cocktail of strategies is important for creating the resiliency needed in the modern work environment.
For ongoing tips on how to create a lifestyle that can withstand uncertainty subscribe to the Agile Intellect community blog. You will also get notifications for live workshops, coaching, and programs that explore the art of crafting the mind.
Negotiating the 21st century in the last few years has been a challenge, but the human mind is versatile and adaptable when fostered. Neuroplasticity has given us the power to succeed amidst centuries of change.
While today’s changes are exponential they are not insurmountable.
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Agile Intellect is the namesake for a reason.
I founded this company with the volatility of the world in mind.
This brain-healthy lifestyle creates measurable transformation.
An 8 Key Framework fosters mental optimization
Habit hacks make it sticky
The Spiral Method allows this lifestyle to grow over time.
The power of the mind is limitless when you simply begin the journey!
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