We've all seen those memes that pop up on Mondays—ugh, Monday again.
When did we all collectively go from looking forward to going to work to just counting down the days until Friday?
Maybe you are an intern brimming with excitement to have a seat at the table, but you feel unable to really understand what your seniors are really discussing. You admire your leaders, they seem like they have it all. You want to fit in but it’s getting exhausting.
Or maybe you are the country head. You sit in your swanky office, drive your fancy car. From your glass office, you look at the small group of people huddled around at the workstations. You can see the newer employees sitting on the desks, their feet dangling, laughing with their coworkers.
When it comes to mental health in the workplace, from burnouts to fear-of-missing-outs, we go through it all. But here’s the thing: You're not alone. Everyone, no matter how put together they seem, faces their own struggles.
This blog tries to explain how everyone faces different challenges in the workplace and what we can do to cope. Keep on reading to find out!
So, you’re just starting out in your first job, and you’re eager to make a great impression. There are a few things that will really challenge you, especially when you're starting out -
The Desire to Fit In
You’re an adult now. There’s this underlying pressure to fit into multiple paradigms in society, at the workplace, and with other coworkers who are probably generations ahead of you.
You also have to prove yourself, to show you can handle everything like everyone else. But that pressure can become overwhelming.
The Fear of Being Disposable
You encounter the rude realities of adulthood and slowly find fear creeping into your mind - fear of being at the bottom of the food chain, fear of being the least valuable person on the team and the fear of being easily replaceable.
Being Talked Over
It's frustrating when you're in a team meeting, full of great ideas, but then a colleague bulldozes over you and dominates the conversation. You feel invisible, and resentment rears its ugly head.
Authoritarian Leadership
Has it been a manager who doesn’t seem open to new ideas, shutting you down before you get a chance to express yourself?
Language and Culture Shock
Was it the fact that you had to move to a new city for the job, dealing with a different culture and language barrier? Language and cultural barriers often make it difficult for people to adapt to a new workplace.
So, what can you do?
“I need to learn how to do my job, how to interact with my coworkers and all the while I have to try to keep my mental health in check.” That’s a lot of work, isn’t it? Well, it is and it isn’t.
See, learning your job is important, being compatible with your coworkers is gradual. But making your mental health a priority is an investment. Here’s how you can do it!
1. The first thing you’ll have to learn: You have your rhythm, and that’s okay. You don’t have to work the same way as your peers to be successful.
2. When you’re starting out, you expect a certain level of autonomy, but that can be hard to come by. Focus on learning the ropes of the trade.
3. Finding one that fits just right might take working at a few different workplaces. Not every workplace will be the perfect match.
Some people thrive in a structured nine-to-six environment, with a manager checking in regularly; some work in bursts—productive for a few hours, then need some downtime to recharge. Then some work best when they’re free to manage their own time.
These early years are also some of the most formative of your life. It's when you really start to figure out who you are and where you fit in. Your strengths, your preferences, and how you work best.
It’s totally normal to feel uncertain or overwhelmed. The key is to remember that you’re still figuring things out, and that’s okay.
Maybe it’s been a few years for you and you feel much more self-assured. You look forward to that new project you have been brainstorming. But… you also have your mornings booked for interviews, preparing for all-hands meetings, and other unavoidable tasks. You look at your boss, a little envious. “He could simply delegate these tasks.”
Slowly, that initial enthusiasm or passion you had, has faded into the background and you keep oscillating between deadlines and EMIs!
Imposter Syndrome
And then comes that creeping feeling of Imposter Syndrome. You start questioning, “Did I really deserve this position?” “Am I doing enough?”
But it’s not just the mental load of expectations and self-doubt. The work environment itself can add its own set of challenges.
Toxic Colleagues
Maybe you’ve had to deal with a coworker who’s passive-aggressive, throwing out cutting comments or snide remarks. It can quickly turn your workplace into a toxic environment.
Management Duties
Sometimes, the challenge can be ensuring timelines and tackling deliverables, especially when managing a team that probably isn’t as equally invested in the project as you are.
Co-dependencies
How the dependency on others—whether it’s waiting on feedback or getting stuck in meetings—can be particularly draining, especially when it impacts personal time.
Questionable Management Style
The frustration of working under a questionable management style, especially when there are creative differences and resistance to new ideas.
Work Culture
Sometimes, the biggest challenge can be navigating office politics—a stressor that doesn’t always come with a clear solution.
Dealing with Change
Understanding the ever-changing trends in the workplace and keeping up with new tech or business shifts while managing your existing responsibilities can feel overwhelming.
What Can You Do?
You’ve reached a place where the challenge is less about pushing boundaries and more about keeping everything afloat. It starts to feel like you’re in autopilot mode, just trying to keep up.
While your responsibilities and roles may change, the pressure to perform and the toll it takes on your mental health can remain just as high. See how you can navigate that.
1. This is where we have to emphasise the importance of making time for yourself—that’s all too easy to ignore in a busy work environment.
2. Switching off after work is crucial to avoid burnout—no more talking about work, no more thinking about deadlines.
3. When it comes to coping on busy days, it helps to give yourself a moment no matter how hectic the day gets. Stepping away for short breaks, even when it feels impossible, can help prevent burnout and keep productivity up.
4. Someone, on the other hand, may choose to power through, even when things get stressful, but they’ve learned the importance of not taking work home with them.
No matter where you are in your career, mental health challenges are real—and they often evolve over time. Everyone copes differently, but prioritising your well-being, setting boundaries, and learning to say no when needed are all crucial steps in navigating the pressures of a mid-senior career.
You might feel tempted to let your intrusive thoughts win. Busy day? Not anymore.
After all, you are the boss, right?
Well, not exactly.
Balancing the demands of managing a company while maintaining your own well-being can feel like a delicate tightrope walk. If you're constantly pouring from an empty cup, it’s impossible to lead effectively.
Let’s look at some of the challenges that you may face as a leader -
Constant Pressure
As a leader, you're answerable to a lot of people. The responsibility of keeping your team on track and ensuring the company’s success can feel overwhelming.
You're also expected to keep calm, even when things get chaotic. This pressure can wear you down, especially if you're juggling too many things at once.
Navigating Employee Mental Health
Each team member comes with their own set of needs, challenges, and expectations. It’s not easy to strike the right balance between helping them and taking care of yourself.
Being Available
Leaders are expected to be there for their team— to provide support, listen to their concerns, or simply engage in casual conversation. But the constant need to be available can drain your energy, especially if you're dealing with personal struggles at the same time.
Adapting to Changing Work Dynamics
As work cultures evolve, especially with different generations in the workforce, leaders must be adaptable. Employees now prioritise work-life balance more than ever before, and adjusting to these shifts while keeping productivity high can be challenging.
What to do?
So, how do leaders manage their own mental health while keeping their teams in mind?
1. Take time to decompress. You have to carve out time to disconnect from work. Whether setting a hard stop at the end of the day or taking time off, knowing when to step back is crucial.
"When you feel stress that you can't justify, that’s when you step back and reassess the situation. False urgencies aren’t worth sacrificing your well-being over."
Permitting yourself to step away and recharge is vital for maintaining the energy to show up as a leader.
2. Create a supportive environment. Leaders who foster an open and supportive environment, where team members feel comfortable sharing their challenges, can prevent bigger issues from escalating. Having a team where people can talk about mental health issues openly makes a huge difference.
3. It's important to recognise when your team might be approaching burnout. It is essential to have a strong grasp of where their team members are coming from and where they currently stand.
Checking in regularly with your team, and knowing when to share the load, ensures that everyone is maintaining a healthy balance.
4. As a leader, your actions and words impact, especially when mentoring others. Even small gestures of encouragement or constructive feedback can have a lasting effect on someone's mental health and growth.
5. Being approachable and available to your team is a vital part of leadership, but it shouldn't come at the expense of your well-being. Leaders need to create space for themselves and not feel guilty about it. Use your calendars not only to block time for work but also for yourself!
6. A healthy team is one that supports each other and communicates openly. As a leader, fostering collaboration and camaraderie within your team can lighten your load and reduce the mental health strain on everyone.
"When you think about the fact that we spend one-third of our lives at work, it has to feel like a second home. Life is too short to spend 40 to 60 hours a week with people you don't have a good personal relationship with."
When you start out, it’s about understanding how you function, finding your rhythm, and determining what environment you thrive in. This is just as essential as that first cup of coffee in the morning.
As you move further along in your career, the pressure to keep performing, to keep up appearances, and to navigate tricky relationships at work - all of it can take a toll on your well-being.
Mental health doesn’t stop mattering when you hit a certain point in your career. It’s just as important, if not more so, as when you started. The risk of burnout is high when work feels never-ending, but carving out “me-time” is essential.
It’s okay not to be OK sometimes, and recognising that mental health in the workplace is just as crucial as any deadline is the first step toward breaking the silence.
It’s time to start the conversation—when we care for our minds, we’re better equipped to take care of everything else.
Q. What are some signs that an employee might be struggling with their mental health?
A. Increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, changes in mood, withdrawal from social interactions.
Q. What can employers do to promote positive mental health in the workplace?
A. Employers can foster a positive and inclusive work culture, encourage work-life balance and flexible work arrangements, and offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) with access to mental health counselling.
Q. What common workplace factors can contribute to poor mental health?
A. Heavy workload, long hours, job insecurity, toxic work environment, harassment or conflict.
Q. What should an employee do if they are struggling with their mental health at work?
A. Speak to your manager or HR representative, utilise your company's EAP services if there is one, speak to a therapist.
Q. What do I do if the support doesn’t help?
A. It can be difficult to find the things that will help you, as everyone is different and what works for someone else may not work for you. But it's important to stay committed to trying out a variety of approaches and staying hopeful even if things don’t help immediately.
