As we approach the New Year, itâs tough out there for the American workforce. The World Health Organization released a new report that details how your work environment can make or break your mental health, citing that many major mental health risks are ârelated to job content or work schedule, specific characteristics of the workplace or opportunities for career development.â As I mentioned in a recent article, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that toxic workplaces are a top five health crisis, 87% of employees say theyâre suffocating in toxic work cultures and 79% report work-induced mental illness. Further, a survey conducted by Showpad found that 40% of workers are experiencing workplace anxiety, and 65% say it has been triggered by going into the office or engaging in office conversations. These stats support the point that employers can set themselves apart by making employee well-being a priority, especially as companies manage through return-to-office plans and hybrid work schedules.
Deb Smolensky, an expert on human performance and health at work, believes the path to progress, for both well-being and career growth, must include empowering employees to enhance their ability to navigate stress, anxiety and burnout. Her book, Brain On!: Mental Fitness Strategies for Sharpening Focus, Boosting Energy, and Winning the Workday, provides guidance for employers and employees on how investing in well-being is critical to elevating culture, productivity and results. Smolensky, senior vice president, well-being and engagement for NFP, provides a step-by-step guide to rewiring our brains to prioritize mental health at work, withstand stress, and make us more energized, alert and resilient. Prioritizing your mental health at work is essential to thriving professionally and personally. The single most important technology ever known, according to Smolensky, is inside your head. All you have to do is train it. She shared with me some actionable insights for optimizing âbrain on mentalityâ and boosting your career.
- Know your strengths. âTaking time to recognize what you do wellâand being honest with yourself about where thereâs more opportunity for improvementâcan give you greater confidence to deal with challenges, engage colleagues for support when needed and explore new projects and initiatives.â
- Align your passions and interests with your career path. âTaking a thoughtful and proactive approach to your career path is critical. Always be flexible, because the road comes with turns and bumps, but by staying true to what you like to do, your strengths, and what excites and motivates you, you can avoid uncertainty that can be unsettling.â
- Ensure your goals include well-being milestones. âSales, revenue, margins, impressionsâthereâs a long list of things we measure at work. But why not include well-being goals? Measuring elements that affect your well-beingâconfident starts to the day, positive colleague interactions, completing mental fitness exerciseâcreates accountability, supports better behaviors and enhances outcomes in your work.â
- Practice your growth mindset. âCareer growth opportunities can be stressful. They require decisions and they often include more work, new responsibilities and higher expectations. You can prepare for new challenges by practicing discernment and establishing parameters for how you want to grow. This brings clarity, confidence and optimism which will help you overcome any confusion, doubt and dread and fuel a more productive career progression.â
- Upgrade your emotional regulation skills. âEveryone reacts. And weâve all reacted in ways we regret. We also experience emotions that have nothing to do with work that affect us on the job. If we take time to think about what triggers unpleasant reactions, we can position ourselves to respond constructively and productively in the more difficult moments and steer clear of the stress that comes with them.â
- Manage your energy and brain power. âMindfulness, breathing and reflection exercises. White space in your calendar and gratitude practicesâ these are just some of the actions we can take to maintain energy levels that allow us to be our best and keep our brains âonâ when they need to be. The pace and complexity of life make it hard, but intentional and consistent habits help you focus on what you enjoy and allow you to remain empowered and excited about whatâs next.â
Our well-being is driven by resilience, preparation and empowerment. These things also happen to be essential to career growth. When employees believe in the power of taking control of their well-being and their ability to drive improvements, they see positive effects on personal and professional elements of their lives.