Mental Health: Fighting off the blues
Spotting the signs of poor mental health is half the battle, recovery and control is the other half
In this article, I discuss 3 keys for overcoming mental health and I give a pointer for all line managers. There’s much more to mental health first aid than leaflets, Employee Access Programmes and coffee mornings. Arguably there are two types of people, those who have suffered/suffer from a mental health disorder, and those who will suffer.
Personally, it’s been tough lately, or has it? Mark Manson teaches us in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** that life is full up disappointments. I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life, as have many others. In 2013, a well-respected psychiatrist diagnosed me with moderate to severe depression, and general anxiety disorder.
During the ordeal, I sank to lows I had never experienced and I did not recognise myself. Rather than blaming others, or turning to alcohol, I listened to the medical experts and did my best to recover. Although I felt terrible for most of that ordeal, there were several positive outcomes.
3 keys to recovering from mental health
Reflection was a key strategy to understanding how to move forward. In other words, I had to record my feelings in order to understand them. Did it matter if slept for two hours in the afternoon? As Mark Manson would say “Who gives a f***?” I like to think of solutions as a template. Here’s what my mental health recovery framework looks like, it’s a triangular template, comprising of two internal factors, and one external factor;
Time: The first side of the triangle is time. One individual may recover more quickly than others. Some people need a mixture of therapy and medication. Oddly, I was prescribed 20mg of Citalopram, the same dose as a colleague who tried to commit suicide. I wasn’t suicidal, but like my colleague, I took 20mg of my medication per day for several months.
Empathy: I didn’t need an arm around me, or frequent messages from friends and family that everything would be ok. Actually, I found speaking to my parents raised my anxiety levels. What I needed was for people to understand my predicament, and allow me the time to recovery. Here’s a lesson for line managers. If a team member is suffering from mental health, give them space, and give them time by working with HR.
“Practice what you preach”, I hear you say. That’s exactly how I manage my team. Across two organisations I dealt with three staff members, each with their own deep-rooted mental health issues. I gave each person the confidence to take a time-out if needed. I explained to the individuals it was ok to manage their own anxieties by using the mental health tools given to them through their recovery processes. By having an open door policy, I was able offer an empathetic view.
Remember, there is a difference between empathy and sympathy. This side of the triangle is really an external factor. You can’t control how others will react or deal with your situation.
Motivation: Without motivation, you’ll not recover. Without motivation you will not find the courage to talk about your feelings with medical staff and family. A lack of motivation is to give in to the downward spiral of negative thoughts.
One of the things that alerted me that I needed help was my lack of concentration levels. I was so tired that I could not focus on a simple task, such as reading a text message. Confidence and self-esteem returned after a period of time and I began to write about sport. I wasn’t a writer and didn’t really understand what made a good story, but like Manson said in his book, I didn’t give a f***, I just wrote.
Writing lead to several openings on sports blogs, driven by my belief that my opinion was no less valuable than an ex-pro’s. I eventually launched my own blog, recruiting three other writers. Less than two years after my diagnosis, I completed a Level 7 leadership diploma, before completing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Motivation to learn new skills was the main driver for a pursuit in further education.
Mental Health: Preventative Maintenance
Anyone working in transport and logistics will know the value of vehicle preventative maintenance. Mental health is no different. I notice that when I don’t stick the basics of reflection, managing emotions and trying too hard to stay positive, my mental health deteriorates.
I know that I’m not perfect and that I don’t claim to be, so before you point your fingers make sure your hands are clean. - Robert Testa
Recently my mood has deteriorated. There is a lot going on in the world, but on reflection I have no real reason to find myself in a slump of emotions. Time and motivation lifted my mood and the latter was the catalyst for this post. Dealing with the feedback loop from hell is vital to the ‘preventative maintenance’ of mental health.
This morning I found myself stuck in traffic, again. Instead of worrying about being late for work, I told myself “Who gives a f***”. I arrived on time and in a better mood than I have been of late. ]
If you think you’re suffering from mental health, remember, it’s ok not to be ok;
Speak to someone.
Seek professional health.
Don’t panic.
Avoid the booze.
Thank you for reading the Woz Report.