Mental health and the great reset
How fast our lives can change! Yet change itself isn’t something we are readily open to. We are living in paradoxical times thanks to Covid and a more conscious approach is called for by employers.
Businesses are only as good as their employees and if there has ever been a time for leaders to look at the happiness levels of their people, it is now. For many, the pandemic opened their eyes to a new way of working.
In the US alone, 5 million people will be freelancing and will make up to 50.9 percent of the total U.S. workforce by 2027! In a workers market where people have the skills and opportunities to work remotely, for themselves, it’s obvious that we are in the middle of a huge reset.
More and more are realising their value and are braving going out into the wilderness by themselves instead of putting up with unhappy working conditions of the past. This is the big reset and this is the time to show appreciation and value to your workforce.
Striking a work/life balance is at the forefront of people's minds. Flexible working, job sharing, virtual teams, positive forwarding thinking management are now some of the non-negotiables. A new way of thinking, living, feeling about work, life, business and leadership is in motion.
Sadly, employee morale and happiness levels are still low in the workplace. Considering the average hours spent at work, it is a vital area that needs further examination. Many businesses simply have not yet got a handle on employees’ new attitudes and expectations post Covid. Recent polls have shown that as many as 1 in 5 employees could be working at home but are not, as there is still pressure to turn up at the office which does not bode well for staff satisfaction.
So what is conducive to a happy workplace?
A change in culture is necessary to create a hybrid environment and increase happiness levels at work.
One interesting viewpoint from an employee working for a prestigious IPO was that when it isn't mandatory to turn up at the office, the desire to want to go to the office kicks in. The pressure is lifted and this creates a willingness and boosts morale. Suddenly it's not so much of a chore as it is a choice. This empowers the workforce as they are willingly turning up and actively being part of a team.
As well as the obvious factors that contribute to a happy workforce (autonomy, laughter and positive relationships, praise & recognition, work life balance, and a commitment to employee wellbeing), we’re often still missing a willingness for leaders to be open around mental health at the top.
People are still struggling to balance the mental load of commuting to the office, spending the day firefighting, in meetings, calls, and endless projects whilst trying to manage a family, household, finances and a life outside all of this.
With the current shocking resignation statistics rocketing, if employers could lead the way in driving openness around their own mental health and show support of those suffering, this would give employees permission to do the same, creating an open and honest environment that could go some way to preventing the burn out culture that is running wild in all industries.
Irrelevant of any existing wellbeing programs that are in place, we at MindVibes believe for real change to take place, this needs to happen right at the very top. The top down approach will take care of the people working on the ground. Together we can build a “people first, company second’ approach. It’s time to make work flow positively, bring people together and refocus priorities on trust, compassion, and action. Investing in employees' self-worth and motivation has never been more instrumental.
Worried about the future of your business with the general theme of burnout blazing its way through personnel? Get in touch to see how the MindVibes team can implement a new happier, healthier working environment.