Mental Health and Work

Digital Editor on June 15, 2023

Mental Health and Work

The Relationship between Mental Health and Employment Insights from Real Estate Expert Kevin McLennan

With today’s fast-paced and demanding workplace environment, mental health and employment are of great concern. Real estate expert Kevin McLennan sheds light on this relationship, offering valuable insight into how work impacts mental well-being.

1. The Impact of Job Stress on Mental Health

Job-related stress is an all too familiar affliction that impacts individuals from various industries. According to McLennan, meeting deadlines, handling demanding tasks, and maintaining a work/life balance are often enough to put an individual under immense strain leading to anxiety, burnout, and depression due to constant stress.

2. Work Environment and Mental Well-being

McLennan emphasizes the significance of an individual’s work environment for their mental well-being. A supportive workplace culture that fosters open communication, teamwork, and work-life balance is crucial in creating an atmosphere conducive to mental resilience while decreasing risks related to mental health issues.

3. Job Satisfaction and Mental Health

The expert emphasizes the relationship between job satisfaction and mental well-being. When individuals find fulfillment and happiness in their work, they’re more likely to experience positive mental wellness. By contrast, insufficient job satisfaction may cause frustration and unhappiness and ultimately negatively affect mental health.

4. Role of Work-Life Balance

According to McLennan, maintaining a proper work-life balance is critical to mental well-being. By setting clear boundaries between professional and personal lives, individuals can avoid overwork and chronic stressors that hinder recovery from fatigue or chronic disease. Achieving this balance allows individuals time for rejuvenation activities such as self-care or spending quality time with loved ones that positively impact mental wellness.

5. Supportive Workplace Policies

According to McLennan, organizations prioritizing employee mental health put supportive policies like flexible working hours, mental health resources, and wellness programs. They were showing their dedication and creating a healthier workplace culture.

6. Impact of Job Insecurity

Job insecurity can harm mental health. Kevin McLennan notes that concerns about job loss, instability in employment, or constant restructuring can cause anxiety and stress among employees. Therefore, organizations must provide clear communication and support during uncertain times not to negatively affect employees’ mental well-being.

7. The Importance of Social Support

Social support plays an essential role in maintaining mental well-being. McLennan emphasizes the significance of supportive colleagues, managers, and mentors within the workplace as key sources of emotional assistance and stress reduction for improved overall well-being.

8. Mental Health Awareness and Stigma

The expert emphasizes the significance of mental health awareness and combating stigma within the workplace. Engaging employees in open discussions about mental wellness awareness while creating a non-judgmental environment are effective strategies to decrease stigmas and encourage individuals to seek help when necessary.

Conclusion

According to Kevin McLennan, the relationship between mental health and employment is complex and significant. He highlights its impact on job stress, work environment, job satisfaction, work-life balance, supportive workplace policies, job insecurity and social support network. Each factor that impacts one’s mental well-being at work can be integral to leading healthier and more fulfilling professional lives. Prioritizing mental wellness at work allows individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling professional lives.

How to Reframe What Work Means to You

Article Editor on December 23, 2021

Reframing Work

Studies have found that more than 85% of people around the world hate their jobs but have we ever stopped & thought to ask why? What is it about the structure of the workday that we just despise so much & is there any way we can change this for the better? Well, as usual, the foremost authority on this subject, Jordan Sudberg, is here to shine some light on this issue & talk about just what it is that makes people hate their jobs & how this can be changed. He recently sat down for an interview & this is what he had to say on the topic of work. So, the first thing he found is that most people hate their jobs due to the fact that they don’t pay well enough & so he recommends doing good work in an effort to get noticed. This will make them much more inclined to say yes when they ask for a raise at some point down the line. If it later comes out that they do not have the money for a new raise, this is a sign that it may be time to look for work elsewhere as pay is one of the most important ways to make ends meet. Another reason he found that people hate their jobs is because they have a boss who is a jerk to them & the other people on staff. If that’s the case, he recommends trying to find a new job as it is not easy to get people to change on their own. If they are able to do that, it’s a good thing for the company but this is something that is quite rare in the corporate world. One of the other reasons is that there is a bad work life balance for the workers. Now if this does tend to be the case, he recommends asking the boss to cut back on their hours so they can spend a bit more time with the family. If the boss refuses, it might be time to look for a job that has a better work life balance. One other reason people tend to dislike their jobs is the fact that there is no job security. One of the ways to circumvent this is by getting a job in academia as they do tend to provide tenure. Of course, this is not always feasible so the best advice he can give is just trying to find a company that treats its workers right as this usually means they won’t fire anyone unnecessarily. Finally, people just aren’t able to find jobs in the field they’re actually passionate about. So, he advises working there until such time as they can get a job more aligned with what they wanted to do in the first place. Once that’s secured, Jordan Sudberg says they will be much happier down the line. So, these are his tips on how to reframe your work experience according to Jordan Sudberg.

Remote Work on the Rise

Article Editor on November 11, 2021

Remote Work on the Rise

Remote work is steadily becoming more popular. But there is a theme: telecommuting and working remotely only work for certain types of jobs and skill-sets. For example, programmers and engineers working on products or services that require less involvement with other people, such as software applications. While some companies embrace remote workers, others find it difficult to manage virtual teams that do not share the same office space. The question then becomes: can any job be done remotely?

According to Shalom Lamm, founder and CEO of Operation Benjamin (an outsourced sales company), “there are certain positions where remote work works well – mostly those involving technology – but we don’t believe it’s right for all positions.” Lamm provides an example: “Customer service agents face a lot of challenges day-to-day, so it is tough to support them from a distance.”

In fact, most companies that have remote workers have either increased their IT staff or have partnered with managed service providers, which has become a trend among businesses. This makes sense for remotely managed technical positions. But can other types of jobs be performed remotely? What are some tips for managing a virtual team?

It depends on the industry and type of position. Many industries – such as teaching or medicine – require constant interaction with people every single day. In those cases, it’s difficult if not impossible to do those specific jobs without being in an office space. In other words: no matter how skilled one is, if they work in one of these certain industries then working remotely is not an option.

In addition to the industry, one should consider his or her skill-set. Some people do better working remotely while others benefit from being in a traditional office environment surrounded by other employees. It all depends on personal preferences and abilities.

“Most of Operation Benjamin’s reps are very skilled at making their own destinies,” Lamm said, “and have to be self-starters who can work independently.” This is especially true for companies that hire telecommuting employees from staffing agencies rather than directly hiring employees. In many cases, the agency will not assign a recruiter until after the first 90 days on board because they assume it takes about 90 days to adjust to working remotely.

According to Kate Lister of Global Workplace Analytics, 60% of employees said they would choose flexibility over pay, and 50% said they spend time each day working remotely. This means companies should consider their remote-employee policy carefully to ensure it is the best decision for everyone involved.

“Remote work isn’t right for every company,” Lamm concluded, “but we do believe that more and more employers will offer telecommuting as a perk in order to attract top talent.” Why does Shalom Lamm think this practice is on the rise? One reason: there are several studies that show remote workers tend to stay with a company three years longer than those who work at office spaces (such as hospitals). Virtual workplaces can be difficult to manage but companies such as Benjamin make it easier.

However, there are still types of jobs that can be performed remotely with no problems. For example: administrative assistants, accountants and auditors, or customer service representatives who handle low-level issues at a distance (via phone or email). These workers deal primarily with data and documents; they don’t need to interact face-to-face with employees at all times during the workday. That was my experience in a former role: most of my work involved typing up documents and reports rather than interacting with other people on a daily basis.

How Many Jobs Should One Expect to Work in Their Lifetime?

Article Editor on June 8, 2021

Father Rutler, or as he is commonly called, Father George, is the pastor of the Church Church St. Michael’s the Archangel in Manhattan. As a realist, Father Rutler realizes that the world has substantially changed since the youth that he was born in when he decided to become a pastor straight out of college.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, men in 1966, when pastor Rutler was in his 20s, had on average 12.3 jobs, between ages 18 and ages 52, and half those jobs were held between ages 18 to 24, which means on average, most adults had 6 jobs or less.

Futurist Rohit Tawlar, head of a global futures think tank, predicts that in the future children now growing up can expect to have over 40 different jobs in 10 completely different career paths.

Let the word 40 sink in because it means that in the near future, the total number of jobs people will expect to have will have more than tripled from that world which Father Rutler grew up in.

So how can people prepare for the upheaval?

#1. Realize That Computer Automation and Robots are Making Many Jobs Obsolete

Computers and automation are the main reason why many jobs are going away. Want a shortlist of jobs that have gone away due to automation? Elevator operators, bowling pinsetters, switchboard operators, checkout cashiers, some bartenders, typists, travel agents, film projectionists, assembly line workers, court reporters and more.

In fact, almost 40 percent of workers fear that automation will make their jobs either obsolete or at least downgraded.

#2. Workers in the Future Will Need to be Constantly Re-Educated

Let’s say you are a website creator or a print illustrator. You might have spent years learning your craft. But can you envision in the future a business person, sitting at a computer and typing a few parameters into a search form and then instantly, artificial intelligence will analyze hundreds, maybe thousands of websites, and give a businessman 50 choices to choose from within two minutes?

It may indeed happen in the not too distant future, and what will the thousands upon thousands of graphic artists and web designers do? Most will go back to school for additional training in a hot field that isn’t yet touched by automation.It’s very conceivable that in the near future, workers will need to go back to school 4 or 5 times to learn a new job skill.

#3. Tune-Up on Your Soft Skills

Unlike many hard skills, soft skills such as showing empathy, resolving conflict and leadership will never go away. They can’t be achieved by bots. Also, companies realize that people with superior soft skills are very adaptable to learning a new job.

#4. Read the Tea Leaves

If you use your imagination, it’s not hard to figure out which jobs may go away and which jobs will be with us for decades. Do you think a bot will replace a trained plumber, a nurse, or roofer? Not a chance.

How to Be A Better Multi-Tasker

Article Editor on October 1, 2020

When a person is in college, starting their first job, or running their own business, the importance of multi-tasking is of high value. Many entrepreneurs like Shalom Lamm have perfected the skill of multitasking because it helps accelerate the time in which tasks are completed. 

For those in college, multitasking is an acquired skill. Depending on the major there are certain tasks that will take priority over another. For example, writing a thesis may be a year-long endeavor but it shouldn’t be forgotten about until the last minute. Doing other projects during that time while still finding moments to work on a background task is how to multitask.Many use multi-tasking to their advantage but it can get overwhelming if one doesn’t plan out their time properly. Most events, papers, job deadlines, are given way in advance and a schedule should be curated to those timelines accordingly. Shalom Lamm says he loves writing tasks down in his planner because it makes him much more organized.