Mental health management while working from home

As work from home continues to be the “new norm”, this has left many employees vulnerable to the effects of self-isolation on their mental health and wellbeing. What kind of measures should be taken to maintain the mental health of employees working remotely? Here, we highlight the importance of mental health management and ways to support your team’s mental health while working from home. 

What is good mental health management?

The importance of mental health management is once again attracting attention as remote work becomes commonplace and work environments are diversifying.

In Japan, prioritising devotion to the company over one’s personal intentions has been a long-standing idea. Given the circumstances, it is impossible to escape stress related to work and it is difficult to adopt an ideal mindset where people work independently with high motivation. To look after employees’ health and wellbeing, modern companies require mental health management based on maintaining employee engagement. In order to maintain the mental health of the team, the following are necessary: 

Hope and self-efficacy for the future

When engagement is high, each person has hope for their future and has a self-efficacy that “I can do it.” Someone with self-efficacy has the conviction and confidence that they can grow by working hard on the work they are currently engaged in. When you have hope and self-efficacy, you are passionate about your work and will be more productive and perform well. 

Relationships that recognise and respect each other as individuals

A high level of engagement promotes communication and builds good relationships. For example, establishing a relationship within a team that recognises and respects each other as individuals creates psychological safety for members. Psychological safety refers to the state of being able to take on challenges without fear of failure. It is being confident that an organisation will evaluate you based on the challenges you take on. It is very important to stay in this state to maintain good mental health.

5 signs that employees may be struggling with poor mental health during remote work
 

1. They no longer take on challenges

In an organisation where high levels of engagement are maintained, the growth of the company or team is tied to each member’s personal growth. Members will be more proactive in taking on new challenges. On the other hand, when engagement is reduced and team members suffer from mental health disorders, it becomes difficult for them to take on challenges and make positive efforts. If your subordinates or co-workers are unwilling to respond to new jobs or feel like they are stuck, it may be a sign of poor mental health.

Poor mental health often leads to loss of confidence as well as reduced psychological safety. In a remote work environment, communication is lacking and it is difficult to obtain positive feedback from others. For members who seem to have lost their confidence or willingness to take on challenges, use online call tools to actively communicate. Use this opportunity to reaffirm their importance within the team, acknowledge their efforts and discuss the significance of their work. This will ensure that members are psychologically sound and ready to take on new challenges.

2. Visible decline in job productivity 

When mental health is affected, work productivity is visibly diminished. Tasks that could normally be completed in an hour now take several hours to complete and decision-making is slowed down. 

In order to understand whether declining productivity may be due to poor mental health, it is important to communicate carefully and gauge the person's normal productivity. By doing so, you will be able to quickly determine if anything is out of the ordinary. However, during work from home it is difficult to observe how employees are working. To address this challenge, schedule regular 1-on-1 meetings and closely share each other’s work progress. If a team member seems to be behind the schedule, follow up with them when necessary.

3. More mistakes and losses

Mental health disorders are often accompanied by poor concentration. Poor concentration can lead to work mistakes and losses. If you notice that an employee is making more misses than you would normally expect, it is possible that he or she is dealing with a mental health disorder. Due to the nature of work from home where the work time is left to the individual, overwork tends to occur.

If the mistakes or losses of an employee becomes increasingly noticeable, take measures such as adjusting the number of tasks or the degree of difficulty of the work, and encouraging them to avoid working long hours. When they make a mistake, don't blame them and instead offer advice that will help them grow. Excessively reprimanding employees causes their ultimate purpose of work such as client satisfaction and personal growth through work, to be replaced with focusing on avoiding mistakes. It is important to create an environment that doesn’t pressure members to be perfect, but rather accepts that failure is part of being human and motivates members to grow from their mistakes. 

4. Increased negativity in conversations

Increasing negative remarks in conversation is also an important sign of possible deteriorating mental health. In these difficult times, we need to avoid excessive exposure to negative opinions or words that will only increase our anxiety. While working remotely, there are many opportunities to access information via social media or television. Constantly consuming negative news can leave you feeling distracted with worrying thoughts. To avoid such a situation, it is important to occasionally do a digital detox and make time for self-reflection to reaffirm your goals and future aspirations. 

5. Direct expressions of anxiety & frustration

If an employee directly communicates to his or her manager about mental health, work-related anxieties, or dissatisfaction with work, this may be an indication of worsening mental health condition. Generally, mental health disorders often go unnoticed so if they have directly reached out, prompt measures should be taken. Make time for communicating, listen carefully to the person’s concerns, and be understanding without placing any blame. In some cases, it may be necessary to encourage consultation with a specialist. When doing so, do not mention the impact on work as this will place pressure on them and leave them feeling overwhelmed. It is important to value the person's life and show that you prioritise their physical and mental health first.