Mental Health Guide For IT Professionals

When not at optimum health, our bodies show signs in the form of pain or discomfort that more often than not spur us into taking remedial action. However, when it comes to the mental side of things, we often tend to ignore the signs of an unhealthy mind. Fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety, absenteeism and stress are some common signs of mental unrest. Mentally healthy individuals are often motivated, productive and better able to cope with life and work-related stress. However, those with poor mental health have a difficult time performing even simple, day-to-day tasks.

According to a recent WHO-led study, lower productivity and higher absenteeism at work due to anxiety and depression sets the global economy back by at least $1 trillion annually.

There are several factors that can significantly affect the mental well-being of a person. Of these, workplace climate is one such factor. We spend a large part of our days working or worrying about our work. Stress levels can shoot through the roof when deadlines are tight and workloads are heavy. In such situations, even something as incongruous as a slow internet connection can send people flying off the handle.

Although stress can boost productivity intermittently, it can manifest as physical and psychological symptoms if experienced on a constant basis. Some of the effects of stress include hypertension, backache, headaches, anger issues, job dissatisfaction and low morale.

In fact, an estimated 1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems at work.