World Mental Health Day 2024: Gen Z talks about ways to combat stress in the workplace

According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety alone lead to the loss of approximately 12 billion working days each year. Various situations such as discrimination, harassment, poor working conditions, stigmatization, etc. can be reasons for affecting the mental health of individuals at the workplace, which requires immediate attention.

Addressing employees’ mental health issues is crucial for companies as it can lead to reduced performance of individuals, absenteeism from work and increased staff turnover. Employee satisfaction and productivity go hand in hand. It is therefore important to create a healthier working environment and take measures to relieve employees.

Also Read: Mental Health Experts Run Workplace Wellbeing Programs

With 60% of the world’s population working, urgent action is needed to ensure work prevents mental health risks and protects and supports mental health in the workplace, says WHO.

Working people could also take steps that can help maintain a stable and balanced mind to cope with workplace pressures.

Hear it from Generation Z, who are struggling with work pressure but also trying to overcome that work stress.

“Having an endoscopy due to constantly missing meals was the worst nightmare I have ever had due to the stress of work. I got to a point where I didn’t know how to define myself or find something to do after work. That was a wake-up call. From then on, it became a priority to stop bringing work home. This meant I had to work more efficiently at my desk. I took on manageable tasks without burning myself out. No matter what, eating a healthy meal at least once a day, spending time with family and exercising are non-negotiable. Sure, work is important. But if I sacrifice my health for this, I may lose that job, the company may find a replacement, while I end up losing my health, both physical and mental, and of course the job too,” says Sruthi Venugopal, Personal Brand Consultant.

“It is difficult to manage work when there is a lot of stress. Normally, even when I’m stressed, I get up from my desk and relax for at least 10 minutes by spending time with my kids. In the last few months, I have started working out in the gym for at least 45 minutes, it also helps me relax,” says Salmanul Faris – Assistant Manager Tax at EY Kochi.

“To deal with stress, I usually try to break larger tasks into smaller tasks to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Additionally, I try to do the work in 55-minute cycles so I can stretch for a few minutes in between. It is very important that you drink enough fluids. I have accepted that long hours are a fact of life in our profession and have started taking the necessary steps to deal with it. But one of the more difficult aspects is the daily commute and getting stuck in traffic. This eats up the time away from work that you need to recover. I’m trying to get enough sleep, but that’s a battle I seem to be losing due to traffic,” says Karthik Mathew Varghese, associate manager of the fast-paced transaction advisory and due diligence department at Acculeap Advisors, Bengaluru.

Government, organizations and employers must adopt effective remedies and approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed at work and in life.

Also Read: World Mental Health Day: Addressing Mental Health Issues Among Students