Stressing mental health

Sabrina Melchiori

Working Canadians are a stressed-out bunch, with the majority seeking remedies and relief on their own time, rather than asking their employers for help alleviating the pressures of the daily grind.

Key findings in the Workopolis' Hardest Working Canadian survey reveal that most of workers are reluctant to tell their boss when they’ve reached the breaking point.

Only 22 per cent of employees ask their supervisors for help when feeling highly stressed -- while 85 per cent of employees and employers rely on health and wellness strategies like exercise or quiet time to decompress and rejuvenate.

Not surprisingly, more stress is felt by elder workers likely in more senior roles: 26 per cent of those 50+ report a lot of stress, while only 10 per cent of those aged 16-24 report the same amount of stress.

So what happens when office stress begins to overwhelm us to the point where it threatens our health and well-being? The results can be catastrophic.

“Stress, burnout, and depression create huge fallout in the workplace that far exceeds taking a sick day here and there. They are part of a continuum leading to serious illness,” says Dr. Taylor Alexander, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association. “It is estimated that more than two million employees in Canada suffer mental illness at any given time. The economic, social and personal impact of mentally unhealthy workplaces is staggering.”

According to Statistics Canada, employees who consider most of their days to be quite a bit or extremely stressful were more than three times more likely to suffer a major depressive episode, compared to those who said they weren’t very stressed.

Which begs the question: Why are we so reluctant to admit when we can’t take it anymore?

“It might be a sign of weakness and employees don’t like to be perceived as weak by their employer,” says Gerry Smith, Vice President of Organizational Health & Training, of Shepell-fgi. His department gives workshops, mediation and coaching on issues affecting the workplace, including wellness seminars on how to manage stress.

“Most that feel that way operate at that (stressful) level for months, because they fear the employer will say they just have to do it,” Smith says.

He adds there’s a stigma attached to admitting we’re feeling overwhelmed, leading candidates to turn to someone other than their boss to vent.

“Most people will complain about it out of sight of management. They don’t want to be perceived as not (being) a team player. Individuals want to do a good days work for a good day’s pay,” Smith says.

They may also be scared of the consequences of speaking up -- afraid they’ll be perceived as whiners, and could lose their jobs as a result.

Smith has these helpful tips on dealing with workplace stress:

• Use your time wisely. Work smarter not harder.
• Prioritize what needs to be done first.
• Give yourself a rest period and take a break -- even a short, 5-to-10 minute break away from the desk, ideally taking 30 to 45 minutes of time for you.
• Don’t eat lunch at your desk. “My staff knows where I will be at lunch. Every day I leave my desk, go to the lunch room for 45 minutes and eat my lunch. It enhances my energy level for the afternoon,” says Smith.
• Do as much as you can within the time you have, doing the best you can within those hours.

“A good boss will recognize what can be achieved within that time,” says Smith. “That’s what good managing is about. Seeing when people are overwhelmed and stepping in when they see it.”

For more tips and information on workplace stress and how to cope, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association or Shepell-fgi websites.