Pixar’s newly released film Inside Out 2 has already broken numerous box-office records and is currently the highest grossing film of 2024. Although primarily intended for children, this coming of age story explores deeply relevant themes, like the world of personality, interpersonal struggles, and the arrival of a seemingly omnipresent emotion: anxiety. With just over 40 million Americans struggling with anxiety or anxiety disorders, it’s no wonder this movie is so widely appreciated.
Anxiety affects a vast number of people. Anxiety doesn’t discriminate. It can affect each one of us, regardless of age, gender, or background. One area that tends to produce anxiety in many lives is the workplace. Just last year, Mental Health America conducted workplace wellness research that concluded nearly 81% of workers experienced a level of stress which affects their mental health. Like the popular Inside Out sequel, anxiety seems to be taking the workplace by storm.
Workers everywhere are striving to find ways of coping with workplace anxiety and are looking to their employers for help. The organizations that offer the right resources and aid to employees who struggle with workplace anxiety seem to reap enormous benefits that go beyond satisfied employees. In fact, increasing evidence shows that workplaces who invest in creating psychologically safe work-spaces consistently see decreased rates of stress in the workplace and an increase in employee retention and overall engagement. To that end, these three powerful tips can help your organization combat workplace anxiety and promote employee well-being.
3 tips for combating workplace anxiety
1. Strive to create a safe work environment
Creating a safe and prosperous work environment is absolutely essential to productivity. In fact, one workplace survey shows that workers who report their workplace to be considered a toxic environment are more than twice as likely to experience poor mental health than those working in a non-toxic or safe work environment. The organization who prioritizes creating a safe, emotionally aware workplace may help improve the overall mental health of its employees and, in turn, boost creativity and productivity.
Offering mental health resources, focusing efforts on inclusivity, or simply respecting employees’ work-life boundaries, can help create a safer work environment—and more engaged employees.
2. Encourage daily refreshers
An American Psychology Association 2023 workplace survey concluded that only about one-third of respondents reported that their employer offers a culture in which breaks are encouraged. Employees need breaks, micro-breaks, and quick breathers to conserve energy or recharge their mental batteries. Something as simple as looking at nature for less than a minute can greatly increase employee performance. The workplace that allows for and encourages quick refreshers can boost employee morale and performance.
3. Consider implementing mental health training
More organizations are finally taking mental health seriously.. One practical policy some large companies are implementing is mental health training. Goldman Sachs, for instance, instituted a new program this year that mandates all employees at the VP-level or higher complete virtual mental health training. This training equips managers to identify and respond to various mental health issues emerging in the workplace.
Other companies, like EY, have opted for a different approach—that is, appointing a “chief well-being officer” to create and implement policies and benefits that specifically aim to increase their employees’ mental health and overall well-being. Adopting similar strategies within your organization could help allay workplace anxiety among your employees
Anxiety and stress are very real and very destructive forces in our lives and in the workplace. Although stress is natural and even expected in some situations, chronic stress and anxiety need not be the norm—especially in the workplace. Investing time, effort, and resources into constructing a mentally and emotionally-safe work environment could pay back in happier, more engaged, and more productive employees.
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