We need to talk about mental health – but not just today. This discussion needs to happen constantly. With the problem gaining more attention (as it should), companies are turning their eyes to their working environment and how it is affecting their employees.
As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a strong trigger for mental illness. Our lives have changed completely: we’ve had to stay at home with almost no physical contact with other people. More than that, we lived in fear, and many of us lost loved ones, which can arguably be defined as dark times. It’s not hard to understand why many – if not all – have struggled to cope.
Inevitably, the way we work has also changed. Some had to continue working on the street, risking their health to keep essential services running, such as health professionals, security professionals, transport professionals and the list goes on… the constant danger of being at risk was a heavy burden. For others, who were able to work remotely, the transition may not have been so easy, because they didn’t have the necessary structure to create a good working space or simply because they didn’t adapt to this style of working.
However, the mental health problem obviously existed before the pandemic, and was already getting worse. One of several studies on the subject showed a considerable increase in psychological illnesses between 1990 and 2019: “Psychological illnesses accounted for an estimated 654.8 million cases (95% UI 603.6-708.1) in 1990 and 970.1 million cases (900.9-1044.4) in 2019, corresponding to an increase of 48.1% between 1990 and 2019″¹. And working can be a major source of stress and anxiety. There are several studies on the correlation between psychosocial problems and work and what this entails.
So how did we get here? What is it about our society that makes it so difficult to have a healthy relationship with work and other aspects of life in general? It’s difficult to pinpoint a single reason, or even make a list of specific reasons, since we are complex individuals with our own struggles and difficulties, but there are some factors that have definitely helped to make the situation worse.
We live in a time when everything is immediate and urgent. We want everything now. There’s always a sense of urgency, as if we need to deliver as much as we can – or more than we actually can. We are constantly online consuming all kinds of information and being overwhelmed by it. There’s never enough time to process it, and this creates a growing pressure that makes us feel like we need to achieve impossible goals.
It’s also common for our society to romanticize the idea of living to work. There’s even a word for it, which I’m sure you’ve heard: workaholic. How often do we see this used as a good thing, a quality, a path that we are led to believe we need to follow? We are expected to make our work our main priority, our identities, to the point where other parts of our lives are not so important, merely background noise.
There is only one possible end to this path: burnout – a mental disorder caused by exhaustion from working so hard that you can no longer work, or even do anything. You’re completely exhausted when you reach your limit, because you’re doing more than you (or any human!) can handle.
And what should companies and employers do? What is your role in making the situation better for everyone?
Many companies are providing assistance to their employees, with mental health professionals and mental health leave. This is undoubtedly great progress, but it’s not enough, because it’s not getting to the real cause. What also needs to be done is a profound change in ideas and ways of acting.
Employees are human beings and should be treated as such. They shouldn’t be expected to work like a machine. Companies and employers need to analyze their approach, take a deep dive into how they work and how they are connecting with their team. It’s crucial to create a safe environment where people feel welcome and respected.
It is a priority for the Studio Venturas team to be mentally well, so that all the work is done with the greatest care in the world. That’s why we’ve listed some internal guidelines on how we take care of our mental health.
We are not immediate, nor do we want to be. We have detailed schedules with our clients, and they are always met. There is no such thing as “yesterday’s” projects, as we understand that this will negatively affect us, as well as hindering other projects that are already being built.
WhatsApp is not a workplace. Why give up email? With them, we respect our check-in and check-out times and don’t have to worry about a message from a client at 2am. We speak exclusively by e-mail, and that brings an inexplicable peace.
We understand the client’s limits, and they need to understand ours. If we budget for delivery X, we don’t add Y or Z in the middle of the process without budgeting and extending the deadline. All our projects have extra time for small changes, so we know how important flexibility is. But we know there’s a limit to it.
Creative work is often undervalued, and it has taken many years of work to create this professional “shell”, but our mental health is non-negotiable.
As we’ve just mentioned, it’s extremely important to find out where you should draw the line. Respect your limits and don’t neglect your mental health. Treat your team with kindness. Don’t expect people to put their lives aside to live and breathe work. The best part about the subject being discussed more and more is that it raises awareness of the importance of looking after your mental health, so don’t hesitate to seek help if you feel you need it. Prioritize yourself.
