CURING MALADY AT WORK

 

                                                           Check the facts

Call on your own INDEPENDENT FACT CHECKERS and you will confirm for yourself that:

·         The impact of covid-19 and the authoritarian way it was handled by most governments and some organizations led to wellness concerns, issues (and suffering) for employees – both physical and mental

·         Nearly three years later there is a raised awareness of the importance of proper nutrition, exercise and fitness, better work-home integration…

·         Pre-eminent trauma psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Dr Gabor Maté in his latest book The Myth of Normal gives proof that there is nothing 'normal' about the way we are living and the level of stress and toxicity we face on a daily basis. (Maté, G. 2022)

·         There is a definite need for organizations to pay more attention to helping employees to meet their changing wellness needs.  Here is a staggering statistic and a wonderful opportunity: In the UK “…every one-in-two work-related ill - health cases is caused by stress or poor mental health… If you know what’s bothering your people, you’ve got a great head-start to help them overcome their problem”. (Goldman, R. 2022)

Think about Joseph Campbell and the Heroes Journey – and the anecdotes we hear so frequently every day now. From safe, familiar ground, having been thrust into the “new normal”, family and friends are reporting occurrences that they have never experienced before. Like depression. They have entered the dark unknown forest, are facing inner ‘thought and feeling’ demons. They are anxious, disrupted, dissociated, not coping, not concentrating when working. Not recovering. Too proud to seek proper help, or mention it to colleagues. Recovery eludes them. How will their story end? 

  

Diagnoses

It is sad that a book called Lost Connections was published during this era of great connectivity. It highlights how we have in fact become disconnected from ourselves, others, meaningful work, meaningful values and a reasonable hope for the future. (Hari, J. 2018)

Covid-19 social distancing and regulations that (rightly or wrongly) infringed on our basic rights, have added to the extent to which we have become disconnected.

And in an earlier exposition called Stolen Focus Hari explains how this technological, ‘connected’ age has led to our inability to concentrate. (Hari, J. 2022)

Probably exacerbated by ‘long covid’ brain - fog.  

Hari’s piѐce de résistance is a talk explaining how the world in which we live is characterised by social isolation and uprooted values – the causes of widespread anxiety, depression and trauma. (Hari, J. 2019) Every CEO and HR Director should watch and learn from this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB5IX-np5fE  

Especially because a new phenomenon is being reported, that of ‘silent quitting’: not speaking out but working-to-rule, doing the minimum possible when more is required for organisations to perform and survive.

 

Towards a Cure

Even if they don’t verbalize it, employees are crying out for physical and mental health and wellness support. A large and increasing number of employees are traumatized and immobilized by the pressure of living and coping in today’s world. These pressures are financial, relational, to do with self-doubt, uncertainty, hostility, changes and other characteristics of the so-called new ‘normal’.

CultureScan offer an up-to-date, confidential, valid and extremely useful wellness check for organizations, that leads to fast and direct improvement-action. This is a great way for leaders to listen and learn, and then respond immediately. The short, focused probe covers the coping and resilience status of employees; their experience of and sense of the overall wellness situation and what is happening in their circles; and their reading of new needs that are emerging - for both remote and onsite workers. 

Do a sample (non-customized assessment) at: https://culturescan.biz/wellness-assessment/ 

Then enquire regarding how to quickly set it up for your organisation at  culturescan.biz

Or be in touch with me: centserv@iafrica.com

In support of conducting the assessment for your organization is a timely article by Dr Curtis Friedel,  Enhancing leadership by promoting coping behaviour (in order to boost creativity and problem solving) (Curtis, C.R. 2022) Psychological safety, employer: employee bonding and an improved wellness climate are also promoted.

 Care. By being decisive and commissioning the Wellness Assessment for your organization now.

 

 

References

Friedel, Curtis R. Dr (2022) Enhancing leadership by promoting coping behaviour Training Zone. 1 September, 2022

https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/lead/strategy/enhancing-leadership-by-promoting-coping-behaviour

Goldman, Russell (2022) Five Golden Rules for Workplace Wellbeing HR Zone 23 September 2022

Hari, Johann (2018) Lost connections: uncovering the real causes of depression and the unexpected solutions Bloomsbury

Hari, Johann (2019) This could be why you are depressed or anxious You Tube 11 October, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB5IX-np5fE

Hari, Johann (2022) Stolen focus: why you can’t pay attention – and how to think deeply again Kindle

Maté, Gabor MD, with Maté, Daniel (2022) The Myth of Normal: trauma, illness and healing in a toxic culture Avery

 

IMAGE

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/The_Stethoscope%2C_Peru.jpg/640px-The_Stethoscope%2C_Peru.jpg

 

Build bridges, deal with the walls between and within.

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