Today is World Mental Health Day and as per its very intent, it provoked a "pause and reflect" moment in me.
We are currently navigating a very challenging global context.?Continued concerns related to the COVID pandemic, hyperinflation affecting many families economically, geopolitical unrest threatening the safety and security of many, energy uncertainty and climate-related disasters of a frequency and scale we have never seen.?As a result, the challenges to our mental health are many.
The World Health Organization estimates that both anxiety and depressive disorders have risen more than 25% since the start of the global pandemic.?Additionally they estimate that one in every eight people in the world live with a mental disorder of some sort.?Let me make this real on simple math – if a company or team has say 1,000 people – applying this statistic would mean that 125 of those people come to work every day dealing with a mental health challenge of some sort. Imagine this number for a global company of say 30,000 or 40,000 people. These are colleagues we work with every day – our team mates.
It feels like there are two very specific areas where each of us can deploy in order to make mental health both visible and a priority in our personal and professional ecosystems:
- De-stigmatization:?Stigma and discrimination continue to be real barriers.?My own observation, particularly in the corporate world, is that it is quite easy and acceptable to openly discuss a physical illness or challenge.?Coming forward with a mental health related challenge is far more difficult.?The under-tone of questions and concerns are real:?“can the person handle pressure”, “can they adequately make decisions”, “can they fully commit to a tough job and be productive and successful”, “are they mentally tough enough”, “can they properly manage people” etc etc.?These types of questions or perceptions can lead to bias and discrimination, bias and discrimination are the enemies of inclusion and because inclusion is a fundamental human need / right – all of this can lead to people feeling the need to “mask” and a general discomfort with discussing the topic let alone asking for support or seeking treatment.?So I think the first body of work is to do our part to de-stigmatize the topic of mental health and make these conversations completely normal and acceptable in our perimeters of influence.?I have learned that telling some of your own personal stories and perhaps even outlining some of your own personal struggles normalizes the topic and gives everyone around you license to discuss the topic openly and without fear of judgement or repercussion. This takes confidence and courage - but so does the work of leaders.
- Prevention:?Being in leadership roles in large corporations is a form of athleticism.?It requires us to deploy bursts of physical and mental energy to surge and rise to address many difficult challenges or take advantage of exciting opportunities.?Athletes very clearly understand that maintaining strong performance over time has everything to do with knowing when and how to surge and EQUALLY knowing when and how to rest.?They do this both physically and mentally.?The physical part comes easier to most – our bodies anatomically signal when we are physically compromised or exposed – mental fatigue is far less evident and I would argue easier to ignore.?With this context in mind the second body of work is to reflect deeply on what exactly you do for yourself (and at what frequency) to provide periods of mental rest.? For me, since the age of 7, the piano has been my most trusted, reliable and constantly available "therapist". It has allowed me to rest and de-burden my mind, exercise it in a different way and over time, even provide the occasional source of entertainment for family and friends - talk about the gift that keeps on giving !! I think it's good discipline to ask yourself to what extent you make time for these mental re-charge periods, prioritize them, protect them and if you don’t like the answers, make one small change.?That one small change will start to form a virtuous circle of wellness that over time will cause you to make other changes – the aggregation of these changes over time will make you a better, faster and healthier corporate athlete.
So in honour of World Mental Health Day – I've been giving this some thought and trying to do my part to create a space around me where mental health is both a topic for discussion and a priority.?I can tell you from personal experience that it can make a lasting difference in your or someone else’s life. #contemporaryleadership
MI Sales Fujifilm
2 年Mine too ?? music is everything to me. My kids can’t understand it, but everyone I know says please teach me how to play piano
Great post, thank you for sharing Agostino. I am totally with you, and the first thing I work on with any new team / team member is their mental health and creating a safe space for mental health discussions.
Business leader, expertise in Sustainability, Marketing and Product Management
2 年Thank you Agostino for your post on this topic, beautifully leading the way in de-stigmatizing. I love the advice to care for one self mentally as much as physically. And as an additional step, I would like to suggest that we also care for each other, be alert to signals, and dare to give a helping hand. Showing we notice and we care is already like a first aid measure. Many thanks.
CFO and Trustee: Retired from Amcor
2 年Very well said Agostino on this important topic.
Experienced Educational Leader/ 46 Years as Internship Program Coordinator, Director of Admissions, Founder & Head of Middle School, Math Educator
2 年Well said, Agostino. Thank you