6 Ways Mental Health Days Can Help Organizations & Their Employees
- By Dr. Shené Marsh-Beckford
- •
- 13 Dec, 2016
Researchers agree good mental health is important to maximizing your potential. This is especially true for individuals in the workforce. Regardless of occupational classification—blue collar, white collar, etc.—many organizational members report occasionally needing a mental health day to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In general, the phrase mental health day was coined to describe a personal day used to recuperate from the stress and anxiety associated with work and daily life.
Work, physical or otherwise, produces exhaustion—it’s the natural way of things. In fact, work is identified as one of the leading causes of stress (Holmes, 2016). To recover from the stress caused by work fatigue, a mental health day may be in order. You and/or your employee(s) might need a mental health day if signs of burnout are apparent. Burnout involves the manifestation of profound mental, physical, or emotional stress, overwhelming feelings, or lethargy. Have you observed these types of behaviors within your organization? If so, you have already identified the need for encouraging mental health days.
Holmes (2016) explained mental health days are important for the following six reasons:
1. Helps reduce stress.
2. Allows for exploration and enhances mood.
3. Increases productivity and creativity.
4. Enhances ability to manage personal responsibilities.
5. Provides an opportunity for additional rest—sleep improves performance.
6. Instantly rejuvenates the mind.
So, what can you do to make the most of a mental health day? Co (2016) suggested engaging in enriching activities such as exercising, reading a novel, exploring nature, cooking a meal, or meditating. These activities encourage the development of hobbies and they also foster self-exploration processes. More importantly, the advantages associated with taking a mental health day reinforces a healthy work-life balance by emphasizing the following specific domains: (1) working smarter, (2) staying fit—mentally, physically, and emotionally, (3) preserving personal time, and (4) getting an adequate amount of rest (Fitzpatrick, 2015).
Is a mental health day your organization’s answer to helping you or your employees achieve a healthy work-life balance?
At EDC, we practice what we preach, so to speak. As the year approaches a close, we will be practicing mental health days encouraging our team members to take much needed time off enjoying the holidays with friends and family! That said, on behalf of the EDC team, we wish you a Happy Holiday and all the best in the upcoming year!
References
Co, E. (2016, February 25). You deserve it: 12 ideas for taking a mental health day. Retrieved from http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Relaxation-Ideas-28158788
Fitzpatrick, K. (2015, November 17). 12 keys to achieving work-life balance. Retrieved from http://dailyburn.com/life/lifestyle/work-life-balance-tips/
Holmes, L. (2016, June 21). 6 very good reasons to take a mental health day: Your brain will thank you. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mental-health-day-benefits_us_5767f4d0e4b0853f8bf15a33
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a factor affecting various personal and professional life aspects. It is defined as the capability to perceive, understand, manage, and apply feelings effectively. It is an indispensable requisite for emotional well-being and psychological safety, as well as overall effective performance in the workplace. This blog post explains how EI influences those aspects by emphasizing its importance in maintaining a productive and friendly work atmosphere.
Emotional Well-Being
Emotional well-being is an important component of mental health in general; EI makes great contribution to its improvement. A person with high EI knows how to perceive and control his or her emotions, which helps to handle stress and develop resilience.Key elements of how EI contributes to emotional well-being will involve:
- Stress Management: High EI persons can recognize and manage their feelings when they are stressed. They are, therefore, able to keep calm and composed, reducing the effects of stress on their mental life.
- Positive Attitude: TIndividuals who have high EI happen to be positive in outlook. They also reframe negative experiences, focus on the positive aspects, and develop a more optimistic mindset, which consequently enhances their general emotional well-being.
- Resilience: EI helps them in developing resilience against emotional challenges. Since they manage their emotions well, they bounce back from setbacks faster and maintain good mental health well into the future.
- Mental Health: The ability to manage emotions fosters a reduction in anxiety, depression, and burnout. Individuals with high EI thus become resilient to emotional challenges, which is a guarantee of good mental health and well-being.
Psychological Safety
The concept of psychological safety at work is defined as "a feeling that one will not be punished or penalized for expressing one's self". High EI significantly enhances psychological safety in the workplace since it aids in empathy, effective communication, and resolving interpersonal conflicts.Key points to remember:
- Empathy: High EI people can understand and share the feelings of others. The empathy in them allows one to give immense support and inclusion to the employees at work by making them feel appreciated and recognized.
- Effective Communication: EI amplifies communication art, hence the individual can express and listen to others. In that respect, effective communication reduces misunderstandings and builds trust in teamwork.
- Conflict Resolution: Individuals high on EI are capable of resolving conflicts. They can handle the emotional dynamics, mediate disputes, and find mutually constructive solutions that help create a harmonious work environment.
- Inclusive Culture: Leaders and employees with high EI will be able to recognize and engage with emotional cues to create an inclusive culture where everyone can safely share their thoughts and ideas without being persecuted.
Workplace Performance
EI is considered one of the major predictors of workplace performance. Individuals with high EI understand how to handle their emotions and take care of the emotions of others, which improves teamwork, and collaboration, and hence enhances their performance at work. The essential elements of how EI can impact performance at workplaces include but are not limited to the following aspects:
- Teamwork: High-EI individuals could work in a team by empathizing with team players and influencing team dynamics based on the same. The art of doing this strengthens teamwork and allows groups to maintain more cohesive and productive atmospheres.
- Collaboration: EI leads to collaboration. People with high EI know how to treat interpersonal relationships, establish functional relationships, and work in various kinds of teams.
- Productivity: The efficient treatment of emotions significantly promotes better concentration and focus on work. High EI employees are less likely to be distracted by emotional disturbances, which raises their productivity level.
- Interpersonal Dynamics: High emotional intelligence helps an individual understand and manage the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. This minimizes the probability of disputes and misunderstandings. This ability develops better general organizational performance by creating an optimistic and collaborative atmosphere to work in.
Emotional Intelligence is part of emotional well-being, psychological safety, and work performance. High EI individuals possess an excellent level of handling stress, keeping a positive outlook on life, and building resilience; therefore, they function well for their mental health and fitness. In the workplace, EI nurtures empathy, effective communication, and conflict resolution-that is, a psychologically safe environment where employees can prosper. Additionally, due to improved teamwork, collaboration, and productivity, EI greatly enhances performance at work. As organizations continue to recognize the value of EI, investing in its development will result in more engaged, resilient, and high-performing employees and teams.
EI has received considerable attention within the disciplines of psychology, organizational behavior, and leadership studies. Despite its reportedly popular influence on both personal and professional success, the theoretical landscape of EI remains diverse and keeps on evolving. The present article overviews the current theoretical diversity in the EI paradigm and emphasizes effective strategies for assessing and developing EI in various contexts.
In this article, we revisit the theoretical variety in the EI paradigm by re-examining the distinct contributions and implications of each of the major models. We go on to detail good practices for the assessment and development of EI, reflecting current research and practical examples. The article aims to arrive at an advanced view of EI and its applications which will helpably shed light on and guide the efforts of researchers, educators, and practitioners toward furthering emotional intelligence in diverse settings.Theoretical Diversity in Emotional Intelligence
Mayer and Salovey's Ability Model
- Views EI as a facet of cognitive intelligence involved in the processing of emotional information.
- Four-branch model:Perceiving emotions, using emotions to facilitate thought, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.
- Intends to make an objective measurement of EI through tasks and problem-solving activities.
Goleman's Mixed Model
- Combines emotional and social competencies.
- Five components: Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
- Has a greater focus on the practical utility of EI in leadership and organizational settings.
Bar-On's Trait Model
- Conceptualizes EI asa set of emotional and social competencies that determine a person's well-being and harmony with other people.
- Includes personality traits; a strong emphasis is placed on the role of EI in maintaining good mental health.
- Relies on self-report questionnaires for the evaluation of EI.
Petrides' Trait EI Model
- Refers to a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies.
- The subjective nature of emotional experiences makes many of them difficult to operationalize or quantify.
- Self-report measures tap into people's perceptions of their emotional abilities.
Achieving Impactful Outcomes
Given the importance of EI in various domains,best practices should be instituted for assessing and developing EI. Truly effective assessment strategies will be able to capture the multi-dimensional nature of EI through the use of self-report measures in conjunction with performance-based tests and feedback from others. Conversely, developmental programs should be tailored to needs at the individual and group levels through the use of personal coaching, training sessions, and organization-level interventions.
Best Practices for Assessing Emotional Intelligence
Multi-Method Approaches
- Combine self-report measures with performance-based tests and 360-degree feedback.
- Ensures a comprehensive assessment of the different facets of EI.
Context-Specific Assessments
- Ensure that assessments are performed in specific contexts and for specific goals of organizations or individuals.
- Recognize that the expression of EI changes with environment and role.
Continuous and Developmental Assessment
- Emphasizes ongoing assessment over one-shot assessments.
- Integrates regular feedback and plans for development on EI.
Best Practices forDeveloping Emotional Intelligence
Individual Development Programs
- Individual coaching and training in selected EI competencies.
- Mindfulness practices, emotional regulation exercises, reflective practices.
Group and Team Development
- Workshops and training programs with groups/teams to enhance collective EI.
- Activities that encourage team bonding, empathy, and good communication.
Integration into Organizational Culture
- Embed the development of EI into the DNA of the core values and practices of the organization.
- Incentivize the leadership to model high EI behaviors and support emotionally intelligent workplaces.
Only by implementing best
practices with regard to assessment and development will the full
potential underlying the individuals and groups come forth. Using
multi-method approaches, assessments fitted to specific contexts,
placing a continuous emphasis on development, and integrating EI into
the culture of organizations are ways in which practitioners can
effectively and sustainably implement their EI initiatives. These
efforts will go toward not only the personal and professional success of
an individual but also the building of empathetic, resilient,
high-performing organizations and communities. Inasmuch as the
theoretical underpinning and practical applications are pursued, the
field of EI will continue to grow, affording valuable insights and means
through which emotional intelligence can be fostered.