World Mental Health Day 2024: Gen Z talks on ways to beat stress at work

‘Mental Health at Work’ is the theme for World Mental Health Day 2024, to raise awareness and highlight the vital connection between mental health and work.
According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety alone result in the loss of approximately 12 billion workdays each year. Various situations like discrimination, harassment, poor work conditions, stigma, etc can be reasons for affecting the mental health of individuals at workplaces which calls for immediate attention.
Addressing the mental health issues of employees is imperative for organisations as it can lead to decreased performance of the individuals, absence from work, and increased staff turnover. Employee satisfaction and productivity go hand in hand and providing a healthier workspace environment and measures to take the stress off their mind is important.
Also Read: Mental health experts to conduct workplace well-being programmes
With 60% of the global population in work, urgent action is needed to ensure work prevents risks to mental health and protects and supports mental health at work, says WHO.
Working individuals could also take measures that can help in maintaining a stable and balanced mind to face the pressure at work.
Hear it from the Gen Z’s who are grappling with work pressure but are also trying their hand at beating this work stress.
“ Ending up having an endoscopy due to continuous missing of meals was the worst nightmare I ever had due to work stress. I reached a point where I didn’t know how to define myself or find something to do after work hours. This was a wake-up call. From then on, not taking work home became a priority. That meant I had to be more efficient at my desk. I was taking on manageable responsibilities without burning myself out. No matter what, having a healthy meal at least once a day, spending time with family, and working out are non-negotiable. Sure, work is important. But if I sacrifice my health for it, I may end up losing this work, the company may find a replacement whereas I may end up losing my health, both physical and mental, and obviously the work,” says Sruthi Venugopal, Personal Brand Consultant.
“ It’s hard to manage work when there is a lot of stress. I usually get up from my desk even if there is stress, and keep myself relaxed for at least 10 minutes by spending time with my kids. In the last few months, I have started working out at the gym for at least 45 minutes, this helps me relax as well,” says Salmanul Faris – Assistant Manager Tax at EY Kochi.
“ What I usually do to manage stress is try to break down larger tasks into smaller to-dos to avoid getting overwhelmed and in addition to this I try to do work in 55-minute cycles so that I can stretch for a few minutes in between. Keeping yourself hydrated is very important. I have come to accept that long working days are a fact of life in our profession and started taking the necessary steps to deal with it. But one of the harder parts is the daily commute and getting stuck in traffic, this kind of eats into the time outside work which is needed to recuperate. I am trying to get adequate sleep but that’s a fight I seem to be losing due to the traffic,” says Karthik Mathew Varghese, Deputy Manager at the fast-paced Transaction Advisory & Due Diligence Department at Acculeap Advisors, Bengaluru.
Effective remedies and approaches need to be taken by the government, organisations, and employers to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive at work and in life.
Also Read: World Mental Health Day: Tackling mental health issues among students