Coping with Mental Health at Work
Mental health in the workplace is a hot topic, as a former bar/restaurant owner, 20 years ago I was once faced with a difficult situation where our head chef had a breakdown and as a result had to take a lengthy absence from work.
My first priority was managing my business, I made sure the front of house was covered, then went into the kitchen made sure all the orders were in with our suppliers, organised the bookings to reduce impact, staggered times etc.
After running the restaurant for a month without a Head Chef, we did really well. Everyone banded together and after a telephone conversation with the Chef, I realised that he wasn’t coming back.
So I looked for and hired a new Head Chef and we carried on, business as usual.
Looking back, and with the knowledge that has been shared with me here at the Lisa Lowe Centre over the last two years, there are many questions I wish I had asked myself at the time of the incident.
· Why did the Chef get so overwhelmed that it ended in long term absence?
· Could I have spotted signs of mental illness earlier to help?
· What improvements could I have made to make the kitchen a less stressful environment?
· How could I have helped ensure the other staff/colleagues wellbeing was being looked after under the added pressure?
Mental Health support simply wasn’t addressed 20 years ago; it was “somebody else’s problem” and “best left to the doctors” the person affected was seen as weak and the business would be better off without the problems that mental ill heath can bring and I was guilty of washing my hands of a problem not addressing the contributing factors that I was responsible for.
Luckily though, we do not live in that environment anymore, we can help our colleagues by educating ourselves, learn how to deal with situations compassionately and most importantly spot early signs and act upon them.
Being in a position to help staff members wellbeing is a responsibility that should be taken as seriously as making profits. Workplace environments are now designed to reduce stress, to make the place that you spend most of your waking time enjoyable. Many businesses introduce yoga, gyms, mindfulness and other coping mechanisms.
Would you be able to spot early signs of stress, anxiety or depression in a colleague though? Our courses via the link below are specially designed to give you skills such as active non-judgmental listening, how to spot early signs and what you can do to help. Please get in touch for further details.