How important is mental well-being in your professional life?
Hey guys, it’s Christie Zizo, checking in on your mental well-being at work.
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In the age of meetings that could have been emails, multi-tasking, and Slack messages, it can sometimes feel like we’re being torn in a lot of different directions at work and — for what, exactly?
Sure, a paycheck, absolutely love those. But is that all there is that matters in life?
Human resources company Oyster released a report this month on employee disillusionment. The company surveyed more than 2,500 employees with desk jobs around the world.
The top priority for those workers? Mental well-being. In fact, 49.7% of workers surveyed chose mental well-being as their top priority in the workplace. The next biggest priorities broke down like this:
- 18%- Relationships with friends
- 16.4%- Physical well-being
- 6.4%- Religious beliefs/spirituality
- 4.8%- Career advancement
- 4.6%- Hobbies and activities
Yeah, that’s right, 4.8% ranked career advancement as a top priority. Oyster’s report sees that as a rejection of the time-honored “nose-to-the-grindstone” way of working that can lead to burnout. This rejection is known by a name you may have heard a lot about recently: quiet quitting.
Generation Z workers more than any other generation placed the highest importance on mental well-being, at 51.6%, compared to 44.8% for Generation X workers surveyed.
Workers from all races prioritized mental well-being at the top, but Black workers did at a higher percentage: 58.4%.
Oyster says it found Black workers face specific challenges personally and professionally that might be leading them to put a greater priority on mental well-being, including the cost-of-living struggle, with 60.1% of Black workers saying the rising cost of living affected their ability to focus at work, more than any other race group surveyed.
More American workers are also asking for access to mental health support in the workplace. About 53% of Americans view it as important as physical health care in terms of what workplace benefits affect your well-being at work.
For Black workers, that percentage is 63.5%, compared to 22.1% for white workers.
Does your office offer mental health benefits, such as insurance coverage or a confidential behavioral health helpline?
Fighting the mental health stigma in the Black community
These numbers are interesting because as News 6′s Jerry Askin found out, more Black Americans, especially Black men, are seeking mental health help, but there are still massive issues to overcome, not least of which is the cultural stigma.
“When we talk about Black men, we’re talking about the extension of there not being such a thing as Black boyhood, and then is kind of rushing into this conversation of being mentally healthy all of a sudden and it’s like, ‘Where were we supposed to get those tools and resources?’” said Chantelle Doswell, a clinical professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work. “There is a pridefulness around not receiving help with things.”
Read about the other challenges faced in seeking help, and find mental health resources HERE.
Which depression treatment is right for you: A look at therapies
So you’ve been diagnosed with depression — and now you’re looking for treatments to feel better.
First up, it’s important to find the right provider for you. If you’re going to need prescription medication, you’ll need to get linked up with a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to prescribe medications such as SSRIs or SNRIs or other classes of drugs to ease your depression symptoms, but it may be best to see a psychiatrist, who specializes in prescribing for mental health diagnoses and may be more knowledgeable about those medications. More about that HERE on News 6′s Mental Health page.
That brings us back to treatments. News 6′s Tara Evans breaks down the different treatments available, from standard pills to ketamine and mushrooms.
Please note as you read below, this is not medical advice and is only meant to educate you on options that exist. Please always discuss any option you’re interested in with your physician to determine what will work best for you and your situation.
Mental health resources
We have a large list of mental health services in Central Florida, many of which offer discounts, a sliding scale or are free. You can find that list HERE.
But here are a few more services:
Limited and selective free mental health service opportunities for Black men.
Provides information, resources and a “Find a Therapist” locator to connect with a culturally competent mental health professional.
The Mental Health Association of Central Florida: 407-898-0110.
The Mental Health Association of Central Florida has been around since 1946, and runs several programs to help people and families when dealing with mental health conditions. That includes a mental health clinic for the uninsured in Orlando, a mental health referral service for Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Polk, Brevard and Volusia counties, telehealth services and peer groups.
How are we doing? Stories from our News 6 team
Florida mental health advocates push for more resources to meet demand — The Florida Hospital Association said its providers are admitting more Baker Act and involuntary psychiatric holds than ever before. The organization said that this increase has resulted in providers not having enough resources to meet the needs of patients.
‘It’s really difficult:’ How Henry Winkler navigates dyslexia in a long acting career — In a career spanning six decades, Henry Winkler has played a range of roles, from the cool comedy of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the hit series “Happy Days,” to the stoic Gene Cousineau on the HBO series “Barry.” But if the iconic actor, author and producer was born to perform, it was not without an obstacle: dyslexia, and undiagnosed at that.
Ask a doctor: Teen girls and mental health — We’re seeing teen girls are being hit especially hard when it comes to depression. In our latest Ask a Doctor, we talk to a licensed mental health counselor about what can be done.