When did life get so busy? These days, all too often, juggling seemingly never-ending to-do lists in both my personal and professional lives can feel like a never-ending task. In part, this is due to the standards and expectations I set for myself, but there is no doubt that the pressures of modern life and the current working world are leading to increased stress for some individuals.
Like myself, busy working parents and carers often find themselves pulled in numerous directions, often with little free time for themselves to unwind and decompress. For me, sitting down to watch an episode of a boxset in the evening can feel frivolous when I still have so many upcoming tasks whirling around in my head, but the break is so vital for my mental health.
As we head towards Stress Awareness Month in April, research shows that factors stemming from daily life are impacting individuals’ mental wellbeing. For example, Axa Health’s Mind health study, which was published this week and surveyed 17,000 adults aged 18-to-75 years in 16 countries, found that financial instability and job insecurity, along with an uncertain future in a rapidly changing world, were two of the top causes of stress among respondents.
Among employee respondents, meanwhile, salary concerns, workload and deadlines, and work-life balance were found to significantly impact employees’ wellbeing. Despite the impact these factors have on employees’ mental health, however, less than half (47%) said they currently receive mental health support from their employer. A further 52% meanwhile felt that they would benefit from doing so.
While some employers may view many of the causes of stress as external to employees’ working lives, the impact these can have on productivity and performance mean that support offered within the workplace environment can be advantageous to all parties.
Research published this week by International Healthcare Group, for example, found that organisations that offer flexibility through hybrid working arrangements found 79% of workers reported experiencing a better work-life balance and reduced feelings of anxiety.
Offering practical tools and steps to support employees, even where hybrid work arrangements are not feasible, therefore, can be beneficial.
With the unrelenting pace of modern life, and the challenges this brings, unlikely to ease any time soon for many, employers may find the provision of support becomes a point of differentiation for both prospective and existing employees.
Debbie Lovewell-Tuck
Editor
@DebbieLovewell
