The World Health Organization (WHO) commemorates World Mental Health Day annually on 10 October which falls within World Mental Health Awareness Month. The WHO’s theme for this year is “Mental healthcare for all: let’s make it a reality”. According to the WHO, mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community (https://www.who.int).
The COVID-19 pandemic, which goes without saying, has had a major psychological impact on people’s mental health. Some groups, especially health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected negatively by the impact of COVID-19. Terms such as disruptor or equaliser or similar, have been used to describe not only the impact of the pandemic, but also the effects on our social relationships, norms and forms of greeting and interaction, has been its effects and impact on our world of work. This impact is starting to show.
According to a recent Knowledge Resources publication(2021), since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some 42% of employees globally have reported a decline in mental health while a recent study(Greenwood and Anas) revealed symptoms of burnout are increasing among employees and leaders alike. Even more concerning is that the WHO found poor mental health can manifest itself in the workplace as increased absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as the loss of productivity. They estimate that depression, anxiety disorders and other conditions cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity (c.f. WHO website).
While there are many factors that can affect mental health in the workplace, the current pandemic has highlighted several areas of concern for employers and employees. One of the major changes brought by COVID-19 has been the phenomenon of Working from Home (WFH) which had been predicted over twenty years earlier, in the form of a social trend called cocooning (insulation and avoidance, peace and protection, cosiness and control-a sort of hyper-nesting). This trend, however, never took off until now, with the recent Covid related lockdowns.
For employers, various anomalies have risen from the WFH practice. Most important among these is the issue of boundaries. WFH implies that the employees are now technically “available” 24/7; the line between work and home becomes blurred. Previously, for most people there was a distinct barrier or boundary between work and home punctuated by a twice daily commute ranging between 20 minutes to 2 hours in some cases. The absence of this commute “boundary” in the current COVID-19 era has had different results for different people. For some, the extra time available has allowed for greater productivity. On the other hand, the daily commute has provided a “time-out” reflection period for planning and thinking about the day which is no longer available. This can result in a certain level of disorientation for some who regard this “empty space” or punctuation as important.
In high intensity/high-tech jobs, the pressure to be at work all the time can create huge amounts of stress within the conflicting demands that most employees have to face and balance as married and family persons together with their working role. Anecdotally in my professional experience, individuals who have moved their office into their bedrooms with disastrous results – being overwhelmed by the proximity of their workplace to their supposed safe space. Another example of an individual who when working from home since the start of lockdown had taken leave and experienced fear at the thought of returning to work the next week because he was afraid of the high volume of emails and other media inputs he was going to have to face when he is back at work. In the above scenarios, the concept of work-life balance takes on a different meaning and unless people have sufficient ego-strength or self-belief to put down clear boundaries for themselves and their work colleagues and superiors, they could run into the difficulties described.
The other major factor or dynamic in working from home during the COVID-era is the presence of the entire family, spouse and children, within the same space for lengthy periods of time. For many, this can be a crowded space like a flat or small townhouse where there is insufficient space for a stand-a-lone office. A BBC News online article (22/8/2020) suggested that this situation, after many months of lockdown, had become unbearable for some. Besides the cabin fever caused by living for long periods in cramped spaces, there is the social dimension where COVID-19 has hurt us most – some miss their colleagues. In some instances, individuals highlight that that it is easier to get help for work projects at the office. IT issues can make communicating and asking questions much harder. Teamwork takes a different dimension and is far more difficult virtually, particularly if there is no pre-existing positive relationship between the team members. For some people, work provided one of the few avenues for social interaction, particularly during lunch breaks. On the other hand, working alone at home can also be difficult, particularly on complex projects requiring creativity and innovation.
In conclusion, the WFH versus working from the office debate is ongoing, leaving many people unsure about what their working day will look like whilst others are uncertain about their job security. In some cases, flexible home working has been positive, whilst for others it’s brought the blurring of the work/life balance, feelings of being emotionally separated from work and of not being supported or motivated by colleagues or managers.
It seems likely that society will transition over time to a hybrid model as part of the new reality we live in where people will divide their working hours or days between their home and their office. Many working people will find adapting to this process difficult and unsettling and negatively impacting on their mental health which as we have noted is no longer optional but essential for our overall functioning as human beings.
If at any time during this transition process you experience feelings of anxiety, depression or hopelessness that is causing major upheaval in your life, please reach out for help from a mental health professional (psychiatrist or psychologist), general practitioner (GP) or if your workplace offers an employee wellness programme, utilise the service to access counselling and emotional support.
Tony de Gouveia is a Clinical Psychologist and Resilience Coach in Private Practice at Life Brackenview.
He is the founder of the Positive Psychology Group (PPG) in Johannesburg and has made numerous presentations on the topic of Positive Psychology and Resilience
(087) 098-0456/ 082 4565046
https:/tonydeGouveiaPsychologist.webs.com
Acknowledgement: Knowledge Resources
References:
Knowledge Resources: Mental health and wellness in the workplace Conference 2021
World Health Organisation(WHO): https://www.who.int
“It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work” by Kelly Greenwood and Julia Anas – Harvard Business Review, October 04, 2021
“Coronavirus will be with us forever, Sage scientist warns”, 22 August 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53875189
For more information about Life Brackenview services, call 010 009 6200 or email natasha.griffin@lifehealthcare.co.za
