What is mental health in the workplace?
When we talk about mental health in the workplace, we’re looking at how our working environments affect us – either positively or negatively – as well as the effect our mental health has on our ability to do our jobs.
Work can make us feel good about ourselves and give us a sense of purpose, which helps to protect and improve our mental health. On the other hand, factors like job stress, bullying or discrimination can trigger a mental health condition or cause an existing condition to worsen.
Some people’s experience of anxiety or depression will have no direct connection with their work – they might have been managing their condition for a while, for example, while working in different jobs. Equally, personal or relationship issues might result in someone developing a mental health condition, regardless of what’s going on at work.
But whatever the factors contributing to someone developing anxiety or depression, workplaces can play a key role by being flexible, providing support, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable raising their concerns and reaching out when they need it.
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