by Carolina Toledo

In March of last year, the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP) already warned, in an international article published in the ‘Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry’, that the pandemic would bring a fourth wave concerning mental illnesses..

If before these disorders already affected the productivity of professionals all over the country, with this global event, the new way of living has made the problem even deeper and the mental health of employees is beginning to gain relevance among the leadership of institutions.

…the mental health of employees is beginning to gain relevance among the leaders of institutions.

Emotional self-regulation is not just a problem to be solved when in crisis, but a journey that each of us must take to live with more purpose.

Whenever we find ourselves in a situation of losing control of what is externalto us, we tend to enter into an internal process of tension and anxiety, the result of the threat to survival and, consequently, causing an imbalance.

Covid19 made us realize in an immediate and unprecedented way, that we have no control over absolutely nothing. We discover an old internal world that demands much more sanity and balance from the individual, without losing the sense of reality and the ability to act in the world. Learning to regulate the internal universe with the external context in a healthy way is essential.

Covid19 fez-nos perceber de uma forma imediata e sem precedentes, que não temos controlo sobre absolutamente nada.

Moving away from the disease issue and looking at the work environment, only now are companies taking more care for what we call human capital.

Not helping employees with their mental health issues comes at a cost – The impact of mental health on business costs is high, as depressed employees miss more time, cost more in health insurance, and have worse interpersonal relationships, reducing productivity. It brings losses of billions of dollars with the drop in productivity caused by depression and anxiety.

“The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity annually. But more importantly, providing mental health support to employees when they need it can help them lead happier and healthier lives. It may even save lives.” font : LinkedIn

So what to do?

Leadership must be ever closer and more aware, creating safe spaces for open and transparent dialogues so that people can express themselves, let their fears and main wishes shine through.

Building a network of collaboration and support for the uncertain scenarios, paying special attention to wellness and mental health, adopting new technologies, training, and a development journey for the leadership itself, oriented towards care and more concerned with the wellbeing of employees.

“Making the company a place for HUMAN BEING and not for human resource” is a movement that had already been emerging and the pandemic has accelerated, Marcelo Cardoso Founder of CHIE.