The topic of mental health has gained increasing attention in public discourse in recent years, making it ever more critical that it be treated as a collective concern. A recent study revealed that nearly 23% of students from six Portuguese universities show signs of mental illness, highlighting the severity of the problem and the need for concrete action.
To address this issue, CATÓLICA-LISBON marked World Mental Health Day on October 10th with a talk in the atrium on the first floor featuring Ana Cabrita, a PhD student in Social Psychology at the University of Coimbra, with experience in Human Resources and career management.
Learning to disconnect to reconnect was the main message conveyed by the expert during an enriching discussion aimed at addressing not only central mental health issues, such as burnout, but also concrete strategies to improve our resilience and mental health.
Companies lose 1 trillion euros due to illnesses such as depression and anxiety
One of the first topics discussed was the persistent stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace.
“If negative emotions are common in the workplace and related to mental health, why is there still so much stigma about discussing mental health at work?” the expert pointed out.
In 2019, 15% of the active population was diagnosed with mental illnesses, a situation that incurs a significant cost to companies, resulting in annual losses of 1 trillion euros due to illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
The work environment can be a considerable source of stress, with 76% of workers experiencing burnout at some point in their careers, according to Gallup data. Burnout goes beyond common fatigue. It is a physical and emotional exhaustion that compromises a person's ability to perform daily tasks and causes physical and emotional consequences, such as insomnia and changes in eating habits.
“The causes of burnout are diverse: excessive workload, lack of flexibility, micromanagement, toxic work environments, and lack of support are some of the main ones,” she explains.
What habits can we adopt to cultivate a healthier mind?
To mitigate these issues, various strategies were shared that can be implemented both in the workplace and on an individual level.
Promoting safety, space, goals, autonomy, and support were identified as the five essential pillars for fostering mental health in companies. Among the strategies highlighted were creating a safe environment for dialogue among teams, respecting the balance between personal and professional life, valuing each employee's boundaries, and encouraging active breaks.
“It is important to respect people’s boundaries, both personally and professionally. Encouraging active breaks, where employees can relax, and giving them the autonomy to make decisions in their work are also fundamental. Furthermore, teaching people to establish and verbalize their boundaries can help prevent burnout”.
On an individual level, the importance of planning, both in professional and personal life, was emphasized. Celebrating small victories and starting the day with simple tasks to gain motivation for tackling more complex ones are fundamental strategies. Regular physical exercise, which helps improve mood and productivity, as well as effective time management and the use of to-do lists, are practical tips for organizing daily life. Learning to say ‘no’ assertively, to balance personal and professional life, expressing needs, owning mistakes, and initiating conversations about emotions at work were other valuable guidelines for promoting individual well-being.
In the end, it became clear to everyone that it is essential to adopt these small habits that allow us to disconnect from work and reconnect with people and other areas of our lives. Only then can we effectively preserve our mental health.