Mental Health- Importance, Factors, Symptoms, and Effects

Mental Health

Mental- related to mind

Health- condition

'Mental health' is the condition of the mind.

Good Mental Health is a state of well-being in which an individual-

• can cope with everyday stress,
• work productively,
• reach his or her full potential, and
• contribute to the community.

Mental health, along with physical health and social well-being, is an essential component of overall health.

It is more than the absence of mental illness. Anyone can have poor mental health without having an illness. Even Anyone can have good mental health with a mental illness.

Five key points about mental health.

• Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness
• No one can have physical health without mental health.
• Mental health helps in coping with stress.
• Human performance and mental health are closely related.
• Workplace wellness must be a top priority.

 Importance of mental health

Mental health and work performance are directly related to each other. A person with good mental health performs better. If a person has bad mental health, he cannot perform well. That’s why in today's world, employee mental health is a top priority for businesses. Positive mental health is important because it helps individuals

a)    To cope with challenges (Good or bad) at work and at home.

b)    To help employees perform well in their roles, manage stress, and boosts resilience.

c)    To allow each individual to reach his highest potential.

d)    To Cope with difficulties in life.

e)    To have basic cognitive and social skills.

f)    To recognize, express and regulate emotions.

g)    To empathize with others.

h)    To cope with changing roles, and responsibilities.

i)     To flourish in life.

Factors affecting mental health negatively-

Employee mental health can be negatively affected in the workplace due to:

1.    Inadequate health and safety policies

If an organization has poor mental and health policies then, definitely, the mental health of the employees will not be good. An organization must take feedback from employees on a day-to-day basis about the workplace (overcrowded or not/ ventilated or not/ adequately lit or not, etc.), materials or equipment (poor or good/ well maintained or not) they use.

2.    Poor communication and management practices

Poor communication and practices create trouble in the relationship, create poor mental health, and increase workplace stress. Management should adopt open communication policies so that honest feedback can be received from employees. It also helps to think of better solutions to the existing problems.

3.    Low levels of support for employees

Managers who don't help solve problems or share resources with employees can contribute to unmotivated, and overwhelmed employees. A team leader should demonstrate how to complete a challenging task and stay available for questions rather than expecting employees to figure out the problem or doubt themselves.

4.    Performance pressure

The constant higher expectations from employees put unreasonable pressure on them. It leads to an increase in workload and work hours, added stress, and emotional exhaustion.

5.    Job insecurity

Any threat to the job is the biggest negative factor to mental health. The fear of not being able to pay bills or care for families carries a significant threat to an individual's mental well-being.

Symptoms of Poor Mental Health at Work

The symptoms of mental health problems can vary from person to person and according to the situation but it's important to be aware of any changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving. An individual may have difficulty focusing, feel stressed, irritable, unappreciated, or lack the energy and motivation to complete even the most basic task. Such activities show poor mental health. A few of the many symptoms are mentioned below-

 

a)    Unfocused aim

A person with poor mental health is unable to focus on his work or life. He wanders from one thought to another and cannot complete his task.

b)    Decline in performance at work and in life

A person with poor mental health struggles to perform his basic task or daily duties at work, at home, or in social life.

c)    Trouble concentrating and thinking

A person with poor mental health has problems concentrating on his task. He experiences difficulties with his memory, thinking, or imagining.

d)    Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns

Struggling with insomnia, sleeping too much, and sudden changes in eating, and drinking shows that a person has poor mental health.

e)    Changes in your mood

A person with poor mental health has strong mood swings. He feels hopeless, helpless, on edge, or experiences or even suicidal thoughts.

f)    Loss of interest in activities

A person with poor mental health shows sudden changes in his interest and favorite things. He loses interest in his hobbies or withdraws from friendships and social activities.

g)    Nervousness

A person with poor mental health becomes nervous and becomes fearful in certain situations for no reason.

h)    Increased sensitivity.

A person with poor mental health becomes more sensitive to sights and sounds and tries to avoid loudness and brightness.

i)     Unusual behavior

A person with poor mental health shows unusual behavior. He avoids gatherings. He becomes disconnected from his surroundings.

j)     Physically Discomfortability

A person with poor mental health feels physical discomfort like unexplained aches and pains. He complains of headaches, upset stomach, or muscle pain.

Negative effects of poor mental health

Many mental health problems can creep up slowly. People can get so used to feeling dull, anxious, and physically down at work that it starts to feel "normal". But ignoring the early signs of mental health problems won't make it correct; it will just become worse over time and leave a person vulnerable to illnesses and other health problems. Finally, it will damage job performance, relationships, and home life. Some of the negative effects of mental health are mentioned below-

 

 

1.    Demotivation and lack of focus

Poor mental health leads to demotivation and lack of focus. All these bring a lack of engagement with one's because due to poor mental health a person cannot regulate his thoughts and emotions.

2.    Low Productivity and job performance 

Healthy minds perform better. Poor mental health can reduce job performance because of a negative impact on behavioral skills, creativity, and resilience. Without these skills, an individual cannot perform well at his job.

3.    Reduced physical capability and daily functioning

Poor mental health increases social anxiety, reduces cognitive performance, and damages working memory. All such things negatively impact the daily living and physical capability of a person.

4.    Misaligned communication

Due to poor mental health, a person becomes emotionally weak and it affects his communication skills also. Poor mental health may lead to misinterpreting or overreacting to someone. A person with poor mental health may use a passive-aggressive tone, may become a poor listener, or may have a negative attitude.

5.    Poor decision-making

Poor mental health can lead to a lack of impulse control, unhealthy thoughts, and poor decision-making. Which in turn results in a negative environment in the organization.

How to improve mental health

 1. Do meditation

2. Follow your Interest/ hobby

3. Enjoy your favourite games/ move

4. Talk to positive people

5. Don't procrastinate

6. Avoid laziness

7. spend time with family and friends

8. prioritize the listed work.

9. Help others without greed

10 Follow 4As techniques of Stress management