Take care of your mental health
In South Africa, employee absenteeism costs the economy between R12 and R16 billion per year, largely attributed to workplace stress, burnout and ill health.
This is according to Michel’le Donnelly, the Project Leader: Advocacy and Awareness at the South African Federation for Mental Health. “Each year, lost productivity due to anxiety and depression costs the global economy US$1 trillion,” she adds.
Donnelly explains that poor mental health impacts employee performance, staff turnover, absenteeism and accidents, all of which cost money.
In October 2021, at the Department of Health’s World Mental Health Day commemoration webinar, Public Service and Administration DirectorGeneral
Yoliswa Makhasi noted that mental health remains a major challenge in society as it is still clouded by stigma and feelings of shame, which stop people from seeking help for emotional distress. This October, Mental Health Awareness Month 2022, gives public and private sector managers the opportunity to gauge how successful they have been in addressing their staff’s wellbeing.
There are several mechanisms in place to help public sector managers maintain healthy workspaces, including government’s employee health and wellness programmes. Public Service Regulations 53 and 54 of 2016 place an obligation on heads of department to establish and maintain a safe and healthy work environment for employees. In terms of these regulations, each department is expected to have a policy that promotes the health and well-being of employees, said Makhasi.
Mental health in the workplace
Donnelly says the workplace is a strong contributor to mental well-being.
“It provides employees with a sense of purpose and social contact and contributes to social and personal identity. It also helps to create structure in people’s lives, which many may find beneficial to their mental health.”
Her strategies for dealing with stress include understanding your stress, identifying what you can change and seeking guidance from supportive relationships.
“It’s important to recognise when you start feeling the pressure building. Don’t ignore warning signs. Figure out what’s causing your stress and determine what you need to keep yourself well immediately and in the short- and longterm,” says Donnelly.
Dr Shafeeka Dockrat, a psychologist and Director of Student Development and Support at the Tshwane University of Technology, offers tips on how to destress. These include good time management; determining which stressors you can eliminate from your life with minimal consequences; focusing on the basic aspects of well-being, such as sleeping, eating well and exercising; investing time in daily self-care and relaxation activities, and
strengthening your support systems.
“Time management is a stress management 101 tool. Planning your tasks in a timely manner reduces the pressure associated with trying to complete a task or multiple tasks at the 11th hour,” she says.
While stressors are inevitable, Dockrat says it is better to identify those that can be easily eliminated with minimal significant consequences, and remove them.
Recognising burnout
Dockrat says some symptoms of burnout overlap with other mental or physical conditions. “If you are feeling exhausted, getting ill more often, are apathetic and detached, and your work performance has declined substantially, you should consult a psychologist.”
She adds that symptoms associated with various mental disorders differ substantially. “If you have no physical health issues and are experiencing severe challenges and difficulties in your ability to go about your day-to-day activities and maintain relationships, it is best to consult a psychologist.”
It is critical for managers to also talk about burnout, as it is different from stress, explains Donnelly.
“Burnout may be the result of too much stress, but stressed people can still imagine that if they can get everything under control, they’ll feel better. When people are burnt out, they are in a total state of exhaustion. They often have no hope, feel empty and mentally exhausted, have no motivation and are beyond caring,” she says.
Dockrat and Donnelly agree that leaders can look after their teams’ mental health by emphasising mentally healthy workplaces.
This can be done by providing in-depth mental health awareness, educating employees about mental health, creating a more tolerant work environment for employees living with mental illness, encouraging people to seek help when struggling, and involving employees in decision-making and career development opportunities.
“By doing this, you are creating a workplace that acknowledges the importance of good mental well-being and enabling a supportive environment where persons with mental illness are not stigmatised and may feel free to access the support they require,” says Donnelly.
Dockrat says leaders should attempt to create a workplace culture that prioritises mental wellness by ensuring that they and their team members take their leave, public holidays and lunch breaks. “It is a fine balance between rewarding outstanding performance and promoting a healthy work-life balance.”
Feeling overwhelmed?
If you are feeling overwhelmed daily, you need to focus on self-care, says Donnelly.
“Self-care is about making sure to continue to do things that are good for you, make you feel good and bring meaning and fulfilment to your life. Self-care looks different for everyone. It could be a good night’s sleep, connecting with a colleague or going for a walk. It’s important to find what behaviours make you feel fulfilled and bring you joy, and what things you should do when you are struggling with your mental health,” she says.
Various government departments have policies that support employee health and wellness, including mental health. These are supported by the Employee Health and Wellness Strategic Framework for the Public Service, which ensures the management of comprehensive health and wellness programmes and services in the Public Service. The policy aims to “build and maintain a healthy workforce for increased productivity and excellent service delivery for the benefit of employees and their families”.