U.S. Capitol Event: The Latest Stressor On Employees

Here's why employees need mental health support

The recent events in Washington, D.C. are just the latest in a long line of stress-inducing factors that employees are struggling with — work, home, family, pandemic, economic, social, and political unrest and uncertainty. We found in September, in the run-up to the 2020 U.S. elections, that employees ranked politics as their second-highest source of stress at 38% (only behind finances at 50%). We can only imagine that U.S. employees are feeling anxiety again after the world witnessed democracy in the balance.

So, how can employers help alleviate this stress and anxiety? Increasingly, employers are recognizing the need to play a more vital role in supporting employees with mental health support. Whether it is the ongoing pandemic, economic pressures, or politically-charged events, companies need to step up and care for their people. Our survey of adults in the U.S. and U.K. has shown that more than half (53%) think mental health benefits are essential in the wake of Covid-19, but a large proportion (44%) don’t think this is a priority at their organization (Source).

We can no longer afford to ignore the impact that chronic stress has on people. While we can’t control most stressors we face regularly, through mindfulness training, we can condition our brains to respond to stress in a way that is protective of our health and well-being. Chronic stress leads to lost productivity, lower cognition, employee burnout, attrition, and substantial excess healthcare costs. Through mindfulness training, we can condition our brains to respond to stress in a way that protects our health, well-being, and performance. 

Employees face different and complex challenges, ranging from fear of Covid 19 to coping with a dramatically changing workplace. Employers and leaders must provide employees with the right resources, flexibility and compassion during this time and encourage their employees to take care of their mental health. Not only is it the right thing to do (from a human perspective) to help ease stress and anxiety, but it can also ultimately improve productivity. 

With Covid-19 still a threat, employees continue to face many potential stress points.  Add in the current political climate and 24-hour news cycle, everyone is dealing with stressors that are outside of our control. 

Employers must respond by leading with compassion and setting an example. People leaders should take the time to understand what employees are going through, unique stress points they’re facing and identify how they can support them. Employees need to feel that their anxieties and challenges are recognized, appreciated, and understood. 

Ensure that you’re creating pathways for open dialogue and feedback, and actively solicit suggestions for improvement, then act on them whenever possible if they contribute to the health and safety of your team. Creating a psychological safety net, as well as leading with mindful understanding, is key to supporting your people.

Leaders should also show compassion towards themselves during this period of heightened uncertainty and tension, practicing and participating in the employee programs and resources provided by the company. At Headspace, we’ve rolled out an every-other-Friday companywide mental health day (which we call MINDays) to support people in taking time for themselves. We also have two designated times during the day where we encourage employees to take a break, shut off email and Zoom and join in an optional meditation, go for a mindful walk or just take some time for themselves. Meditation cultivates a softer, kinder mentality, and helps cultivate greater awareness and compassion – enabling leaders to direct goodwill towards others, and allowing them to lead by example. 

A recent study run with the College of Policing has revealed that mindfulness improves job performance, improves resilience and reduces presenteeism (Source). Studies have also shown that using mindfulness for 30 days reduced stress by a third (32%), improves focus by 14%, and reduces mind wandering by 22%. (Source) (Source) (Source)

We have to recognize that people show up to work with their personal stress and anxieties. Work creates stress. Home-life creates stress. Those two worlds are not easily separated, especially for many during the pandemic. And employers who want focused and productive employees, need to acknowledge their role in supporting the mental health of their people.  

With the mental health effects of the pandemic likely to persist over the long term and politically-charged events seemingly a regular occurrence, employers should plan ahead by embedding mental health resources within long-term people management strategies. These resources should form part of a holistic approach that incorporates other ways to support and improve the mental wellbeing of employees, such as offering greater working flexibility in the longer-term and creating a company culture that helps to mitigate any feelings of loneliness and isolation.

By showing compassion and pointing workers in the direction of mental health resources leaders can build a much healthier and happier workforce – which also has the added benefit of boosting productivity and driving prosperity in the long run.