Leader Central

How Therapy Can Help Leaders Cope With Workplace Stress

Taking on a leadership role at work is not a walk in the park. While many aim to climb the ladder and call the shots, they don’t realize that going up the ranks means heavier responsibilities. It can be easy to crumble under pressure. When the team is stressed, you are doubly so. After all, you’re in charge of steering the sheep. In addition, it can be isolating to be the boss. No longer are you part of the workplace gossip; you may even become the subject of it.

Thoughts like not being good enough as a leader or not properly doing your job also come and go. You begin to doubt yourself and your capabilities. You may feel like you have so many responsibilities yet so little control, and you cannot do any of them right. So, you develop thoughts of inadequacy. This reaction is a form of workplace stress, and it can lead to the deterioration of your physical and mental health.

The good news is you can cope and deal with this type of stress. Multiple articles and websites give out advice or suggestions you can do by yourself. Furthermore, if you want professional guidance, you can always seek the help of a therapist. Therapy has been instrumental for so many people in improving their lives. It is no surprise that it also helps leaders become better in their work. By undergoing therapy, you will understand yourself more, learn how to reduce your stress, and become the confident leader you can be.

Below are some concrete ways how therapy can help you cope with workplace stress.

Find Out What Triggers Your Stress And Anxiety

One type of therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, aims to shift perception from having little control to believe in your capability to overcome any issue or problem. The first step is to spot and pinpoint those anxiety-inducing thoughts.

Most of the time, you only feel like you lost control because of the recurring thoughts. These kinds of thoughts fuel your self-doubt and make you believe they are the truth. If you constantly tell yourself that you are not worthy of leading your group, you may feel dejected. As a result, you might give up and become more stressed.

To stop these feelings, you and your therapist will process your thoughts to spot the negative ones. You might be asked to talk about the entirety of your day. Your therapist may also ask about your previous thoughts and how you feel about them. Slowly, your complicated emotions will unravel themselves. You and your therapist can then identify which ones are not good for you and address them accordingly.

Outside therapy, your therapist might even suggest you keep a journal, so you can point out situations that stress you and how you respond to them. At the next session, your therapist will, again, help you process them all to figure out the triggering ones.

Examine And Dispute Your Thoughts

Once you pinpoint your negative thoughts, the next step is to dispute them. To do so, you and your therapist will critically analyze them. You will have to go through these beliefs and figure out whether they are true or not. If they are true, your therapist will help you find ways to improve. They’ll help you learn how to deal with the situation better, as well. It is okay to be saddened by it. But to give up entirely is not the best answer.

If it is true that you’re not a good leader, you can start attending leadership training or seminars to better yourself. You can also start identifying your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you can improve. However, as you process them, you will see that the majority of these thoughts are untrue. Self-doubting thoughts often lead to lower self-esteem, which makes it easier for us to believe them. You and your therapist will now have to dispute them.

Often, a democratic group votes on a leader. The members would not have picked someone they think is unworthy. Their vote may have been based on seeing that person leading without any major troubles or blunders. You may be this exact leader they want. So, the notion that you are an unworthy leader is untrue.

In the end, the aim of debating over these thoughts is to make sure you do not go into that mental state where you instantly believe them. You will be looking over them objectively as a way to cope better with stress.

Conclusion

Being responsible for the success and achievements of a group certainly can put pressure and stress on a leader. Suddenly, you are not just focusing on yourself anymore but the rest of your team, as well. Having that many obligations can make you doubt yourself. You can avoid it, but it does come sometimes. For others, this will motivate them to be better. For the rest, it just brings more anxiety and apprehension.

We begin to push ourselves to achieve our goals at the expense of our health. We reach our breaking point, but we still work in hopes of getting rid of our self-doubts. But, as human beings, we must take care of ourselves. To ensure our well-being, we must not let our thoughts put us in a bad place. Allowing this to happen will cause more problems and consequences for ourselves and the group.

That is why it is crucial always to check yourself. You can question if you’re still doing okay. Ponder on your thoughts, and see how you doubt yourself. If your self-doubt is getting too much, know that therapy is always an option. Know that it’s not only something needed by people in deep trouble. You can also benefit from it as you begin your journey to coping with your stress to become a better leader. Your therapist will be with you every step of the way.

How Therapy Can Help You Become A Better Leader

Being a leader of exceptional quality requires having the right qualifications. It’s not enough to have the drive and confidence to take on the role. After all, you’re in charge of an entire team when you lead. How you manage the people under your care has a significant impact on their well-being, dynamics, efficiency, and productivity.

To be a great leader, you must constantly strive to learn and improve. If that’s your goal, then therapy can help you. Contrary to popular belief, seeing a therapist isn’t limited to those with concerns or illnesses. Therapy is beneficial for everyone. It’s a process that can help you become a better person and leader.

Your therapist can guide you in building healthy habits and breaking bad ones. They can also help you understand yourself. All these will benefit you in your journey toward improving as a leader. Read further to learn how therapy can help you!

To Gain Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is necessary for everyone, but more so for leaders. Objectively seeing yourself means being conscious of your personality and being in tune with your emotions. It’s considerably useful for those in leadership positions when managing stressful situations.

This trait helps you exercise appropriate responsibility and accountability. By being self-aware, you recognize your role in situations. Having this ability also prevents problematic actions, such as blaming others and absolving yourself of any liability. In addition, gaining self-awareness helps you understand yourself in relation to others. Therefore, you get an earnest sense of your relationships with the people you lead.

Seeing a therapist can help you develop this self-awareness. But it’s not going to be an overnight course. Instead, the process will involve multiple steps to assist you in learning about yourself and how you view others and feel about them. Through therapy, you will also be more in tune with and in control of your emotions.

Sometimes, being too self-aware can lead to excessive self-consciousness. Several mental and emotional concerns can arise from that. However, with the help of your therapist, you can achieve just the right sense of self-awareness to help you be a better leader.

To Develop Empathy

Being a leader means being responsible for your team. Keep in mind that your team members have lives, feelings, and experiences of their own. So, leading them doesn’t stop at meeting goals and making sure they deliver results. Beyond that, leadership involves ensuring the well-being of your team as you achieve your targets.

That’s where leaders rise above bosses. When you lead, you consider each member of your team. But taking care of them doesn’t mean coddling them or making excuses for mistakes they make. Instead, leading entails fostering an environment that promotes growth, learning, and gratitude. Good leadership also requires being considerate of your members’ emotions, needs, and well-being.

Gone are the days when we view apathy and stoicism as pillars of leadership. Now, more than ever, we need leaders who exercise empathy together with excellent skills. Your therapist can help you learn and work toward developing this trait. They’ll aid you in changing your behavior so that you become kinder, more considerate, and more empathetic.

Developing empathy is vital because your team members are people. They have their own unique experiences, emotions, and hardships. They’re working with you to achieve a common goal. It would benefit your cause and everyone involved if you provide them a safe space where they know they’re valued. That feeling helps them perform at their best, especially when they’re given plenty of growth opportunities.

To Improve Your Communication Skills

Understanding and comprehension are vital for a team to work. So, effective communication is heavily intertwined with great leadership. When you’re moving toward a goal, it’s even more important for you to communicate well.

Communication involves being able to express your thoughts, ideas, and emotions clearly. Simultaneously, it also includes being considerate of and open to what your team has to say to you. It’s vital to hone your communication skills to build trust among your members and encourage a healthy exchange of ideas.

Effective communication can also promote strategic and critical thinking. In addition, effectively communicating will allow you to motivate, inspire, and direct your team. Your therapist can help you develop that skill. They will guide you through exercises that will help you improve your communicative abilities. That way, you won’t just express yourself well, but you’ll also develop the ability to direct your team.

To Boost Your Mental Focus

Great leadership requires a great deal of focus. As a leader, you’re responsible for handling the team to achieve a goal. That means you need a clear mind to see the big picture while being aware of minute details.

To focus well, you need to relieve your mind of worries and concerns. Therapy can help you clear your head. To do that, your therapist will help you solve any problems you’re encountering. They’ll also aid you in addressing the mental and emotional concerns you may have. By seeking avenues to make yourself feel better, you’re moving toward becoming a better leader.

In addition, your therapist can suggest exercises to help you boost your focus. They may recommend some behavioral techniques that will allow you to sustain concentration.

Wrapping Up

Improving your leadership skills is a continuous journey. As such, you should be open to criticism and opportunities for growth. To become a great leader, you must always strive to better yourself. Learn from your experiences and mistakes, and move forward with resolve and empathy.

Therapy can help you in this path. Your therapist can help you gain a healthy sense of self-awareness. Through therapy, you get to acknowledge your role in situations and be responsible for your actions. That also entails understanding yourself and your relationship with your team. Moreover, your therapist can help you develop empathy—the trait that will best help you take care of your members.

The benefits don’t stop there. Your therapist can help you improve your communication skills and boost your mental focus, as well. These are all necessary factors you need to work on to become a better leader for yourself and your team members.

Counseling: Learning About Group Counseling

Various individuals have various views about what they think of group counseling. Those who desire to become group counseling specialists and seek help from a counselor and teachers, parents, public agencies, and school heads have differing opinions and things to expect from a group therapy. The endpoint of these objectives is dependent upon the counselor and the client.

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Group Counseling Experts’ Objectives

Psych specialists don’t always agree on experts’ exact objectives and principles, as they are frequently imprecise, general, and filled with insinuations. Nevertheless, there are five most common objectives that these experts agree on:

Enhancing the client’s capacity and efficiency to cope.
Encouraging positive behavioral change.
Holistic development.
Improving an individual’s ability to create and foster healthy relationships.
Supporting the decision-making process and enabling a person’s optimum potential.

This article will emphasize group therapy and how such a professional can effectively lead people to become better versions of themselves.

Group Counseling

A rising focus is placed on efficient mental healthcare in today’s world. This is a significant sign of improvement in the community, and the strategies of going through therapy and counseling can often be puzzling. The implication is that there are various kinds of mental health treatments as there are practicing therapists. This is partly because of modern counseling’s focus on going through group counseling that works for the individual. This method takes on the idea from a somewhat wider perspective. These people encourage those suffering from various challenges to ask for help in the company of other people with whom they can relate.

Batch therapy or group counseling is a great tool for assisting batches of people in surpassing some of their most difficult problems and learning coping strategies that they can use for life – if it is appropriately done.

Group sessions or group therapy is a type of therapy that involves one or more therapists working with a small group of clients. Other group members often share similar difficulties and important benefits from the support of other members and the group experience itself.

Groups provide a supportive environment or safe environment in which people can explore alternative ways of thinking and behaving. They also offer effective methods and alternative ways through therapy groups or counseling groups.

Steps On Leading A Group Counseling Session

Group Counselors Should Be Direct And Upfront But Not Assertive.

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Anybody who leads a batch counseling session must be upfront and honest about its objective – its intentions, how, whom, and what obstacles they hope to aid these individuals present. Concurrently, this should not make the batch participants feel like they’re the targets of judgment and criticism. Among the most vital aspects of counseling is that individuals who come for the batch session want to feel part of a considerate and compassionate circle. If instead, they feel like they’re being accused or condemned, the mental health session ultimately becomes unproductive.

A Stringent Rule Of Non-Violence During A Batch Therapy

It is vital to remember that overly controlling or forward behavior in a counseling session should be avoided. However, there are also significant factors that should be completely disregarded. Among these is threatening, vicious, or otherwise overwhelming behavior. Many individuals, specifically those who suffer from social or personal problems, will crash when faced with intimidating behavior, and the counseling session might become useless. In extremely bad situations, they may require help giving the idea another try – and may want to continue the treatment in a new clique. This type of behavior should be avoided – discreetly, if possible. If necessary, though, it should be shut down truthfully yet calmly.

Respect Privacy

No private, personal data is entitled to the client or to anyone for that matter. Individuals joining in a batch counseling session must never be allowed to reveal any specific information, no matter where or when. This sense of responsibility and susceptibility is directly opposite to what is required to help overcome a range of common mental health challenges – many of which are what participants in a counseling session are going through. Ultimately, it is up to the specialist or the true leader to dynamically protect their avid participants from this type of infraction, not merely evade their need for anything.

Group Counseling

Make It Fun And Interesting For Counseling Your Group. This fact is frequently overly stressed when it comes to cliques centered on kids but concurrently under-used by groups catering to seniors’ and adults’ needs. Fun is a significant aspect of integration; socializing was made to be fun. If the true participants get bored because the counseling sessions are repetitive, perky, or unjust, the group’s counseling sessions’ objectives and goals will become useless. A range of choices can help make adult batch counseling sessions fun and interesting. These can vary, from having doughnuts and coffee to creating new games to watching mental health-related movies that focus on overcoming the challenges that group participants are experiencing.

Group counseling can be very beneficial for students involved. It can provide a safe place for them to talk about their concerns and get feedback from other members of the group. Most people feel more comfortable talking about their feelings and perceived benefits in a group setting than they do in individual counseling.

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Batch Therapists Should Reassure And Inspire But Do Not Force

An individual has taken his initial and most important step towards facing his challenges upfront by joining batch counseling. Most probably, he has gone through individual counseling somewhere else, and this means that he has, in fact, attempted to make positive changes to his life and has perhaps retained some of these changes. Group participants should be reassured and encouraged to join counseling as decently as possible. Group leaders should inspire them to try batch counseling, but it is crucial to remember that they should not be forced to participate if they are not ready for counseling.

Final Thoughts On Batch Therapy

A group leader can improve the group’s overall success by reading, understanding, and following these simple counseling steps. Hopefully, group leaders will be more capable of developing more progressive techniques for coping with various mental and emotional challenges. Consequently, it helps group participants learn ways of functioning more efficiently in their communities.

Group counseling is an important part of the counseling process. It allows peers to explore their feelings and emotions while interacting with other people. The counselor plays an important role in group counseling, as they are responsible for setting expectations, providing guidance, listening to concerns, and interacting with other individuals. Group counseling can be a great beginning to the counseling process.

FAQs

Traits Of A Leader That A Counselor Must Possess

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Aside from organizing students’ schedules and managing academic assessment exams and placement exams, school counselors are frontrunners that can tremendously play a role in improving and accelerating learning. They should convince others that their insights are valuable and working with school principals and other academic officials.

A school counselor has several responsibilities, including providing sound advice to students and referring them to external agencies, joining support communities, working with parents and teachers, and assessing and enhancing their own academic counseling system.

Below is a list of important leadership characteristics that a counselor must possess.

Empathetic

Being empathetic – placing themselves in the shoes of the individual they’re dealing with – significantly helps a counselor learn and understand the core problems. Experienced counselors agree that the capacity to understand their students’ experiences truly helps them do their job effectively. Empathy, according to them, encourages listening and an improved ability to assist their clients in finding worthwhile solutions to their issues. Students also become more comfortable and more eager to open up to them honestly.

Meaningful Listening

To start, any counselor must be a good listener. Generally, counselors deal with many students and often get very few opportunities to talk with them thoroughly in just one session. But seasoned counselors suggest that the primary need of humans is to grasp what the other person is trying to convey, and of course, to be understood by the other person as well. What better way to achieve this than by listening?

Counselors should be completely in the moment to be effective listeners. This means committing their full attention to the problem at hand instead of thinking about just simply doing their job description. Their view of the person’s issues and how they deal with them will show how much they have listened and understood them. They should also be open-minded while being cautious not to criticize until they have clearly understood the person’s story.

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Doing Evaluations

Evaluation skills are important for school counselors in several areas. From skills evaluations and personalized career and testing advisement, the counselor’s capacity to distinguish between desire and talent is significant in effectively providing counsel.

Evaluations also include identifying whether or not a student has specific needs and translating certain types of data to decide which position the students must be placed in and what kind of programs they can take advantage of.

Notwithstanding the purpose for the evaluation, the stages usually include but are not limited to:

Selecting the tests that should be performed and when.
Preparing and running examinations.
Providing sound advice to students, parents, teachers, and others.
Assessing examinations, results, and ensuing proposals and suggestions. Evaluations require some testing but should be combined with being empathetic, being a good listener, and ultimately the connection that has been established to identify how testing results relate to the students’ traits, needs, and goals.

Establishing Relationships

Building a significant connection with students or fellow counselors is not quite easy. But through empathy and great listening skills, this can be achieved quicker.

To talk to a counselor comfortably, a student should establish trust, ease, and acceptance. He must recognize that his counselor is a professional helper who can go to without fear of being criticized. On the other hand, a counselor who can create this unquestioning connection with a student is obviously more efficient in doing his job.

Being Versatile

If there is one thing that is sure in education, it is that change is constant. Programs, schedules, and obligations all disrupt a counselor’s everyday routine.

The needs of students and the requirements of the school in general frequently come first – scheduled meetings only second. Staff and parent issues, conversations within the classroom, and unforeseen counseling needs could all be distractive.

An efficient counselor must:

Utilize effective time management strategies.
Reserve short breaks daily in case of unscheduled needs.
Communicate thoroughly. Inform parents, students, and teachers of programs, schedules, as well as limitations.
Set realistic boundaries. Learn to know which ones are worth the distraction and which ones can wait.

By being versatile, counselors can deal with the stress that comes with the job better and will be more receptive when they need to counsel arises unexpectedly.

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Managing School Efforts And Activities

This can be aligned into various categories. Counselors need to synchronize education plans for students, including other specific programs for students. Along with managing student programs and collaborating with teachers and other staff, the school counselor usually organizes other tasks and activities.

In many situations, counselors are tasked with taking care of school announcements, newsletters, coordinating social media accounts, and other outreach and activity efforts.

The ability to manage and organize school efforts and activities needs robust management and leadership skills. Sharing these skills with the students by permitting them to be responsible for their own educational objectives allows the counselor to become a leader by example.

Possessing A Sense Of Humor

The capacity to see things with grace and humor definitely has several benefits. It allows students to realize that counselors are also humans and are capable of laughing at circumstances and laughing at themselves as well. Having humor is among the tremendous assets in establishing student trust and building a connection with them. It is frequently how those students associate with adults, either through humorous comments or jokes, that show a point that counselors are trying to convey. Finally, humor is a great stress reliever.

Conclusion

It definitely takes a blend of several leadership traits for someone to be an effective school counselor. He should be empathetic and utilize efficient listening skills to be able to establish harmonious and effective relationships. Counselors should also administer evaluations and manage academic efforts and activities. Possessing only one of these traits is not sufficient – and nobody is equally proficient in all of these traits.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Benefits Of Emotions-Focused Therapy

As leaders, it is important to act on reason. By doing so, it enables objective judgments on issues and problems. However, as leaders, it is equally important to pay attention to emotions as well. People get more inspired when they know, and they feel that their leaders can empathize with what they are going through.

In general, emotions often make us impulsive, but they also tell us what is deeply important. Our feelings help us understand what we need and want. It helps us discern which actions are appropriate and which are not. In this understanding, emotions serve as guidance and a way to develop oneself. This is what Emotion-Focused Therapy aims to do.

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an approach that focuses on learning and understanding our emotions. Additionally, it teaches us how to tolerate and regulate them. However, the therapy does not stop there. It includes experiencing the emotions themselves.

Going through the emotions in a therapy session ensures safety not only for us but also for others. Furthermore, EFT will help you better understand yourself through the guidance of a professional.

Following the therapy is the process of reflection. After identifying how you react to things, you can now begin to change the parts that need improvement. Making internal changes can be difficult initially. But with the right guidance and personal determination, it is possible.

Once you get through the difficult parts, it can take that weight off your shoulder. Eventually, you will see things clearer with no clouded judgment. Moreover, you will be able to communicate and live better.

In the end, Emotion Focused Therapy will help you identify what emotions you can trust and rely on and what feelings that may be painful and harmful to you and others. With that knowledge, it guides you on how to be better with yourself and your relationships.

If you want to know more about Emotion Focused Therapy, read the frequently asked questions below.

What is emotion-focused therapy used for?

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is an approach relying on emotions, which is the key to identity. In this therapeutic approach, emotions serve as a guide for decision-making. According to EFT, a lack of emotional awareness or abstaining from unpleasant feelings can be detrimental. EFT encourages people towards an understanding of their emotions, enabling them to use this as information.

How effective is emotionally focused therapy?

Emotionally-focused therapy is an intervention derived from a scientific study. It is primarily designed to address distress in the relationships of adults. This type of treatment helped people understand their emotional responses and those of other people, which improves relationships. Moreover, this approach was found useful for family therapy.

How long does emotionally focused therapy take?

Emotionally focused therapy commonly takes between 8 to 20 sessions to bring a relationship through the stages of this therapy. In this therapy, the therapist and clients will find patterns within the relationship and take the necessary steps to build a stronger relationship.

What type of therapy is EFT?

EFT is a humanistic approach to psychodynamics designed in the 1980s and constructed with adult attachment science. This science has broadened our comprehension of individual dysfunction and intimate relationships. The EFT model focuses on emotion and emotional regulation as the critical agent in personal experience and relationship interactions.

Does EFT actually work?

Recent studies have found EFT to be an evidence-based approach for depression, anxiety, and phobias. Moreover, 70 to 75% of couples going through EFT takes away distress, and 90% have shown significant improvements.

What are the stages of EFT?

EFT has three stages, which in total has nine steps. In this approach, therapists are building first an alliance before they proceed to the three phases. It includes Assess and De-escalates, Change Events, and Consolidation and Change phase.

In the first stage, the therapists strive to uncover the underlying emotion inside the relationship. While the Change Events phase involves developing corrective emotional experience. For the final stage, the clients will resolve the old problems.

What does psychodynamic therapy focus on?

Psychodynamic therapy prioritizes unconscious processes, which are manifested in the client’s behavior. Through this therapy, they strive to create self-awareness and know the past’s influence on present behavior. The psychodynamic approach allows the client to inspect unresolved conflicts and symptoms.

What are the 3 types of therapy?

The theory of psychotherapy serves as the guide for psychologists to understand the clients and their problems. The three types of therapy include Psychodynamic, Behavioral, and Humanistic therapy.

What can EFT help with?

Emotionally-focused therapy may help various issues, such as addiction, anger management, anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain management, stress, and trauma. As with different forms of holistic therapy, EFT should be used with traditional medical advice and support.

How does EFT affect the brain?

According to the recent studies results, EFT can help alter the brain’s representation of threat cues found in the client. EFT’s effectiveness for mitigating the social regulation of neural threat responds to utilizing an fMRI-based process.

Is EFT scientifically proven?

Can EFT cure anxiety?

EFT was built as a treatment to various client presentations through universal applications. Additionally, it was explicitly utilized for depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Does EFT work for couples?

EFT is utilized with different kinds of couples in private practice, university training centers, and hospital clinics. Research studies have discovered that 70 to 75% of couples undertaking this therapy move distressed to recovery. Moreover, approximately 90% have shown significant improvements.

What is an example of psychodynamic therapy?

One example of psychodynamic therapy is art or music therapy. This therapy is a non-traditional form of psychodynamic therapy that revolves around expressing feelings through art or music. This therapy is non-directive and non-structured, which enables the client to lead the session.

What can I expect from psychodynamic therapy?

Instead of focusing on behavior, Psychodynamic therapy entails the interpretation of mental and emotional processes. Psychodynamic therapists attempt to help clients figure out patterns in their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs to learn their present self.

Between reason and emotions, there is no better than the other. If you follow your logic too much, you deprive yourself of feeling anything. It can even lead you to lose your knowledge of your needs and wants. Meanwhile, if you are deep amidst your emotions, then impulsion guides you. It cannot truly lead you to the right path. Instead, it might drive you astray.

Emotion-Focused Therapy helps you find the balance in both. By letting the emotions run through, it allows a better understanding of oneself. EFT can also help develop a more solid judgment on what is appropriate and what is not. As a humanistic approach, EFT aims to help a person become better than before by reflecting within.

As human beings, change is the only thing that remains constant. It continuously happens, and no one can stop it. Through time, you can either become a better or worse version of yourself. The role of Emotion-Focused Therapy is to help you to be the best that you can be. Although it is tough to look into yourself, it is a necessary thing to do. It is only by facing the music that you can figure out how to solve it.

Once you go through EFT, you will feel an indescribable lightness within. It will bring you the confidence to do the things that you have always been wanting to explore. Moreover, it will allow you to feel better, more hopeful, and happier. In time, you will notice significant improvements in the overall quality of your life. Just trust the process and believe that you can do it.

Effects Of Good Mental Health On Workplace Behavior

Mental health continues to be a taboo topic in the workplace. Some employers feel that they should not enter the personal lives of their employees. However, mental health is not just a private matter. It also affects how they behave and perform in the workplace. With this in mind, here are some of the positive effects of promoting wellness in the company.

Higher Optimism

Admit it or not, mental health remains as a taboo. A lot of people still view mental health problems as something abnormal. Thus, many fear judgment from their colleagues, making them feel less comfortable to open up on their issues. This boxed setting leads employees to sadness and isolation, which, most of the time, affect how they work.

Therefore, leaders need to step up and address this disconnect. To support their employees who are challenged by their mental health, they should execute some initiatives to help eradicate the stigma around this topic.

For one, employers may spearhead an open dialogue. Let this be an avenue for experts to address the misconception revolving around this issue. It is the perfect avenue to promote awareness and educate the whole company on the ins and outs of mental health.

This way, everyone will have a deeper understanding of it. The more people are aware of the underlying ideas in this topic; the more their colleagues will have the strength to open up.

Lower Absence Rate

Do you know that almost 17 percent of employees take a leave at work because they’re feeling anxious, depressed, or sad? They sometimes do not have the drive to get out of their bed and proceed with their work happenings. Some also feel less encouraged to go to the office since being in a place where no one understands them makes them feel isolated.

Meanwhile, if they have a good mental health condition, they are more likely to feel motivated to go to work, which means a lower absence rate in the long run. Since more people are present, it increases the overall productivity, which helps the business be efficient. Besides, you don’t have to worry about getting relievers for your employees, given that they are there to work.

Better Employee Productivity

One of the best things that good mental health provides to the company is high productivity. Believe it or not, the presence of mental illnesses will have adverse effects on how someone works and their corresponding output.

For example, workers will exhibit a lack of concentration and focus. Since many negative things are running in their minds, they tend to space out while working. Once they lose focus, they also lose their momentum and train of thought. Therefore, leading to wasted time.

At the same time, burnout and poor overall health stem from poor mental health as well. For instance, some people may have a hard time sleeping because of the ongoing worry and bothersome emotions. It may then lead to insomnia and then an insufficient amount of sleep. Due to lack of sleep, they most likely do not have the optimal energy to work the next day, which results in lower productivity.

However, if their state of mind is at its best, there is a better chance that they’ll be pumped up to do their work. Some bosses do not even have to exert that much effort to keep their workers going since their energy gives them the initiative to do more than what they are asked for.

Better Employee Engagement

We have a lot of activities happening in the office. Some initiatives might be as small as weekly meetings, but there are instances that it’s as big as product launch nights and awarding ceremonies.

If your employees do not have a good mental health state, they may instead choose to skip these events. Lower employee engagement also comes from strained work relationships that stem from the mindset that they don’t have anyone to lean on in the office. But if they’re happier overall, this will give them the courage to interact more with the people around them. They’ll be relaxed to be their best selves as well.

It’s not only the social part of employee engagement that gets touched when this happens. The complete engagement in terms of better decision-making, design thinking, and process workflow will be improved. This person will also most likely have more creative juices in their body. Therefore, they get to spearhead more ideas and initiatives that will help the causes of the business.

Delivering an excellent mental health wellness program in the office is not as easy as it seems. However, as a business leader, it is your responsibility to draft the best ones suitable for your company’s culture and environment. Without initiatives like these, you might lose your best employees. Not only that, but it will also cost your company in terms of its operating expenses.

Start with the little things and jumpstart from there — spearhead lectures and seminars to increase the knowledge on these topics. Then, once the stigma has been broken, this is when you can integrate more significant wellness activities.

How Do You Think Successful People Maintain Family Connections?

For years, I have done nothing but make sure that I will succeed in my adult life. I tried to get straight As and enter an Ivy League school; I had some fun in college, but I always stayed as far from trouble as possible. My attention was solely focused on coming out on top of my class and opening a company.

As much as I amaze people with my long-term plans, I always hear the same warnings. “If you are all work and no play, your efforts may become futile.” “Being a business owner is not an effortless job; it may not be what you genuinely want to be.” The most common one makes me wonder if I should rethink my decisions: “Many successful people are losers when it comes to love or family.”

After all, they have a point. Just look at Angelina Jolie, Tiger Woods, Elon Musk, and even Demi Lovato. They have all the fame and money that anyone can ever ask for due to their careers, but they have had more terrible relationships than great ones. Thus, it may be true that success in a career may jeopardize my ability to develop life-long connections.

Nonetheless, every time I veer towards giving up on my dream, I see the likes of Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates on TV, and my resolve becomes more potent than ever. These folks are known not only for their successful careers but also for their healthy families. Their stature in society has not prevented them from sticking to one person and becoming incredible parents.

The only remaining question is, “How do successful people maintain family connections?”

Separate Your Emotions For Work And Home

Life becomes complicated when you cannot separate your feelings at work when you are at home. That is especially true if your business suffers from losses or you cannot finish a project on time. The latter makes you anxious and irritable, after all. If you take these emotions into the house, the kids may notice your attitude and not want to come to you.

To keep your loved ones from getting scared of you, you must detach your work from home life. As soon as you roll into your driveway, remind yourself to get your act together and prepare a genuine smile for your spouse and children. They are not part of your problems anyway, so they should not be your shock absorber.

Avoid Bringing Too Much Work At Home

It seems impossible in the real world for a devoted employee not to bring work at home. The reason is that some projects must be completed early, and it cannot happen if they wait for another day to come. Hence, the only solution is to take the materials to the house and finish it until the wee hours.

Although your family may understand why you are doing that, you should try not to take home too much work too often. Doing so will reduce the amount of free time you have for bonding with your kids and life partner. The more you insist on that, the more it may cause a rift on your family connections.

Take The Family To Your Workplace

Most companies have a “Bring Your Kids” or “Bring Your Entire Family To Work” day. You should take advantage of special occasions like that and do as your bosses say. This way, it will be effortless for them to realize why you are always busy.

Taking your family to your workplace also ensures that they know your co-workers. It is especially ideal when your spouse seems to get jealous quickly of the people they have not even met. When they get acquainted with everyone, their constant worrying and nagging may stop.

Make Sure Your Loved Ones Are Aware Of Your Decisions Before Announcing Them

Another vital factor for maintaining family connections is making sure that your loved ones are aware of your decisions before letting others know about it. For instance, if you want to launch your business online, they should be mindful of it while the website is still in the works. That will allow them to ponder through your announcement and give you a piece of their mind.

Sometimes, talking to your loved ones about your decisions is beneficial since they can offer free advice and voice their worries. It will then help you reconsider all your options or figure out if you are on the correct path.

Final Thoughts

Don’t you love it when you hear about successful people at work and at home?

I do love that; it gives me hope that I can have the same fate as them. I am merely waiting for this pandemic to end before I get started with my plans. The best thing I can do is guarantee that my business ideas are as fail-safe as possible and that my family is never in the dark when it comes to my work decisions.

Positive Business Leadership During COVID Times

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The recent coronavirus outbreak has caused rapid and extraordinary changes, particularly in the lives of business leaders across the world. More importantly, their status of businesses are connected to the health of its employees, the health of the communities, and the health of the entire planet. Since the past two months or so, surprising transformations in our everyday lives are convincing businesses to get accustomed quickly and find various ways to survive and thrive.

Worldwide unrest has been making it tougher for leaders to find their balance – and those who want to work from a place of transparency are rather shaken from this global health storm. So the question that most of these leaders are confronted with is this: What can we do to move past such distinctly uncertain times?

Efficient and positive business leadership will help manage the crisis, regain strong communities, and be more prepared for moments of confusion and chaos. However, with so many unsure encounters emerging all at once, a lot of leaders might struggle to pave a clear path forward.

To gain a better position to respond efficiently, leaders must work on three essentials – identifying a clear purpose, providing support for investors and clients, and strengthening your managerial and emotional spirit.

Source: wallpaperflare.com

What is your purpose?

The first step to take is to reassess the purpose of your business. The enticement for opening businesses in these COVID times is frequently to go small, to stoop down, and focus on essentials and values. Right now, rather than tapering down their focus, business leaders in crisis must think about holding back and remembering their basic principles. Highlighting their company goals and purposes will also show your intentions to the world, and this imparts confidence and generosity among investors and clients who share these principles. In these COVID times when change is on a large scale, workers, shareholders, and employees alike will be more inclined towards companies where their purposes mirror their personal beliefs and morals.

What actions can you take?

This is the second of the three most important steps – to be aware of what actions need to be done to convey support to those who are relying on your business or organization, especially those who have more critical needs. This entails reevaluating who your shareholders are – from your clients and investors to workers, and the whole community as well. You should determine their needs and acknowledge that their needs may be different from each other. Finally, this involves identifying ways by which you can best serve them, which includes moving forward with operations with social distancing and health and safety measures in mind. Your shareholders are key people who push and gauge your success, especially during a time when success feels hard to attain.

How do you strengthen your emotional and managerial spirit?

This third step encompasses your need to find a resolution to weather the storm that is COVID-19. You can only do this if you are emotionally strong with tough managerial skills and spirit. To make this adjustment possible, identify the behaviors that make you a more compassionate, resilient, and competent leader. This may involve starting a new physical activity to energize you, regaining the focus that you need to become better, or simply making sure that you get adequate sleep—in a nutshell, finding equilibrium.

Source: 4seeds.co.za

Similarly, it is also vital that you inspire your teams. When confronted with a tremendous number of serious decisions, business leaders – or any leader for that matter – will possibly feel tempted to tighten the grasp of their position. Still, a resilient leader relies more on shareholders and collective insights, structured throughout a network of people with clear directives. Encouraging leaders with the right attitude and personality – those who are constantly driven and versatile and are willing to make tough but brave calls – is crucial for sound and quick decision making.

The ability to be aware of our obligations and opportunities and to understand who we truly and what we value the most are skills that will strengthen us during and after the pandemic. As we traverse a vague and narrow path today, how we deal with today will determine where we are going tomorrow.

How You Can Show Good Leadership During A Global Crisis

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A quote that became popular during Winston Churchill’s era is now recalled to describe the recent COVID-19 pandemic and how the world leaders will be able to handle the situation: Cometh the hour, cometh the man. In a time like this, where millions of lives are at stake, and the economy is plummeting, policymakers, company executives, and different leaders around the globe are put to the test. The ‘hour’ has come again – in need of the right ‘men’ who will navigate us to and through this global crisis.

Indeed, the way through this crisis is not at all easy. Aside from the apparent dilemma of choosing the right way to take, leaders are also responsible for ensuring the public and convincing them to abide by the decisions that the government makes, such as social distancing guidelines, despite how much it has taken a toll on employment and other personal concerns. Making a wrong turn could easily damage trust and cause unrest that will ultimately aggravate the dangers that are being posed at present. Thus, it remains to be seen whether or not these world leaders will come out victorious in providing the necessary response to these devastating times.

But before anything, leaders must remember these two important principles so that their ‘command and control’ measures won’t be anything but a show of who’s boss. Leadership must begin with compassion, honesty, and transparency.

Source: commondreams.org

Sugar Coating Is A No-no.

This is one of the most common mistakes that a leader must avoid if they want to build trust instead of discord. This happens because policymakers think that when an unexpected crisis occurs, most of the public will panic and be overwhelmed, but studies have never backed this up. In fact, the chances that the public will panic because of what the government will tell them are quite low (panic buying is not included, though). A good leader, no matter how hard it may be, must be open about the problem that the community or the country is facing. He should not think of himself as a father protecting his children from harm. He must regard them as adults that can make a positive difference when the problem is given to them in complete detail. Level with them. Without transparency, people will eventually sense dishonesty, decreasing your accountability and, therefore, the trust in the government or organization’s policies.

Convey A Sense Of Purpose

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea made an exemplary presentation of the concepts of successful crisis management. It had begun to collect COVID-19 test kits years before a pandemic had hit its shores, and this had enabled them to test 10,000 of their citizens daily when the infection rate began to rise. They also utilized a mobile app that would update the people about the current situation. The country then has established the importance of having a sense of purpose, perhaps also because of the MERS outbreak that it has experienced in the past.

Most leaders still do not get to appreciate the essence of conveying a powerful message in the face of a crisis, specifically when it comes to transparency and consistency. They must not belittle the impact that their words can do to a people and a nation. Analysts agree that the content of a political speech is as vital as the final decision that a leader makes.

New York City Mayor Giuliani’s response to the 9/11 attacks is also an example of a great way to manage a crisis. He communicated honestly to the people and by appealing to them to show the real strength and courage of New Yorkers. This gave the public a sense of pride and morale that would have helped the city go through the grief and the whole situation as peacefully and successfully as it could have.

Source: time.com

People need a leader that projects empathy and a clear understanding of what the situation is and to bring it to them with hope and confidence that together, the crisis can be dealt with and surpassed. It is perhaps quite a difficult feat for leaders, but if they can achieve it, and in this case, help their people overcome the challenges of COVID-19, then the people will feel visible and heard.