23 Jun Could Mental Health be the Diabetes Epidemic of 2050?

If you only have a little time to dip into this essay today go straight to the section WHAT’S IN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH TOOLBOX? But please come back later.

These are the key points I want you to walk away with:

1. YES, mental fitness is an issue that is no longer hiding under the covers. More people are talking about it. Does that mean it is more prevalent, or that we are more comfortable talking about it? The answer is YES, AND — it is both.
2. YES, the issue of perceived stigma still exists. It prevents individuals from seeking available help. Can we – as Team Human, Tribe Tilt – can help normalize mental fitness? Can we make it as normal as visiting the dentist or taking our parental leave?
3. This is a WE problem. Paying attention to mental health and offering support has a direct positive effect on retention and productivity. It hits the bottom line – economically. Pre-pandemic, it cost the Canadian workplace six billion dollars CAD in lost productivity and accounted for 70% of all workplace disability costs. Every dollar invested in mental healthcare is money well spent.

We should constantly be asking: how do we support ourselves and those in the sphere of our care?

TL;DR – If we do not pay attention could mental health become the diabetes of 2050? What can we do today to focus on prevention? And why should corporations and managers care? Much of this article quotes Canadian statistics. The problem, however, is a global one.

• More young adults are experiencing mental health issues. According to Boston Consulting Group, 40% of Gen Z employees (born 1995-2010) report they are at a mental health breaking point.
• This is a WE problem. Paying attention to mental health and offering support has a direct positive effect on retention and productivity. It hits the bottom line – economically. Pre-pandemic, it cost the Canadian workplace six billion dollars CAD in lost productivity and accounted for 70% of all workplace disability costs. Every dollar invested in mental healthcare is money well spent.
• What does this have to do with the Future of Work? As we move into a new work era (Future of Work) we are losing our boundaries, mental guideposts, and frameworks causing confusion and stress. Add Covid to the mix and this first class of digital natives are operating without maps, navigating a work environment new to all of us.

What can each of us do to support ourselves and those in the sphere of our care?

I won’t leave you without options. We will end with a few suggestions on how to address this as a young adult and as a manager/parent. The simplest being “How can I make this easier? Where can I/my team access paid and free resources? How do I/my worker know I am/they are in trouble? How can I support my co-worker or family member?

If you only have time to dip into this essay today, go straight to the section WHAT’S IN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH TOOLBOX?

 

Addressing Mental Health in Young Adults: Implications for Workplace Leaders

I was recently invited to moderate a panel on this topic, hosted by The Empire Club of Canada. The audience of 400+ comprises influential leaders and managers across commerce, society, and education:

Addressing Mental Health in Young Adults: Implications for Workplace Leaders

Our panel members:

• Dr. Deepy Sur – CEO, Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW)
• Denis Trottier – Chief Mental Health Officer, KPMG Canada
• Stephanie Jones – Mental Health Facilitator, Speaker & Author

Treat this essay as the sampler box of sweets you get for special events. Something to whet your appetite so that you can ask for more. Because each of the topics here deserves its own series of essays.

In a detour from my normal kind of essay, I am going to cherry-pick three quotes and use them to introduce broader topics and interventions for you to consider. Please take time to explore the transcript/listen/watch the full discussion between these experts – each of whom has their own lived story with mental health. It is filled with essential tidbits and information that I believe should be shared more broadly. Over the coming weeks, we can explore the concepts that generate the most conversation from our Tribe Tilt, or respond to other ideas raised when you watch the discussion.

All change, all at once

Why does this futurist care about mental wellness? It is one of my four essential pillars of work at Tilt the Future (Technology, Mental Wellness, Foundation Skills, Understanding Transitions & Transformation)

Let’s consider a few of the many significant changes that come with the Future of Work:

• We now work 24/7. Our relationship with time is changing. We do not have the Industrial Era 9-5, M-F with built-in breaks
• It is more difficult to leave your work at your desk when you leave the office – wherever that office may be. We’ve moved out of the brawn economy, off the factory floor and into the knowledge economy where everything demands our attention and so much business is executed seamlessly across the world through our phones and keyboards.

• This is the era of the gig economy. Some may be tacking many gigs together to create a full-time equivalent. Others may be creating side hustles to establish a side income stream as a security net. We don’t find time to recuperate.

We are heading for a big reset and readjustment. We are drifting without anchors as the frameworks that we were raised with — time, job security, separation of home and work — dissolve and new frameworks are being tested. According to Boston Consulting Group, 40% of Gen Z employees report they are at a mental health breaking point.

This first generation of digital natives are now establishing themselves as managers in corporations, and leaders in startups. As they were raised by us industrial-era parents, all our coping skills have used the frameworks we also relied on. It is a reset for everyone.

I am not a doctor and I do not offer advice. But I try and distinguish, for young adults, some inevitable FoW shifts happening in society. These are outside their range of control. Structure plays a big part in mental wellness. “It’s not me. It’s them.” We advocate for ourselves when we can articulate our problem clearly.

When you realize that someone switched the rusting linear career ladder for a crazy roller coaster ride, you can reset your expectations of the dramatic highs and lows. Now, instead of panicking, you can strap in, sit back. And suddenly you may find enjoyment on this crazy ride.

Key topics raised in the conversation:

In the interest of keeping this essay short(er) and get to some strategies, here are a few talking points from the conversation:

• A 2023 Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) mental health services study found that of the respondents about two-thirds of women between the ages of 18 and 34 said they were living with a mental health condition, some diagnosed, others not. — Deepy Sur, [11:52]
• Why is the mental health care more visible now?
  • GenZ has been raised to be more assertive and have agency. They ask for what they need. There is a resistance to getting a mental health diagnosis, with the fear of being “labelled”
  • Many GenZ started work from the confines of their bedrooms. The lines on personal and business have blurred significantly. They are struggling with boundaries, including having downtime in a 24/7 world.
• The additional impact of Covid on BIPOC employees.
• Stigma – There is still a significant stigma associated with accessing mental health care services. Stephanie wanted to make it clear that professionals will lose their license if they share your information with an employer
• High-functioning team members often do not connect their struggles to mental wellness.

SOLUTIONS

What is in your mental health toolbox?

I loved this concept. “Be prepared.” Not just for yourself. Your inquiry may benefit a colleague, or help you access information for a family member in need.

There is no First Aid Kit for Mental Health. So you have to build it yourself. Start with the basics (the equivalent of bandaids) – write down the phone numbers for your health plan, collect the urls of a few free resources, connect with someone you trust and ask them if they will be willing to take a call from you if you find yourself in a dark place.

You can now expand your kit from there.

Here are five ideas to consider as you do that:

• Lower the lift: Figure out how to navigate your own benefits package. Once you have got the basic First Aid Kit in place, take it for a test drive. DO A BASELINE MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-IN. Set up your systems at a low-stake moment. Did you do baseline concussion tests for ice hockey or rugby? Think of this the same way. But double benefit – you get to know where the buttons are, the urls and phone numbers, create a relationship with a health advocate before you ever need one. Because when you are down a wormhole, it may be a challenge to take that first simple step for the first time.
• Learn how to create and negotiate boundaries: In the 24/7 world that came with our new “Future of Work” we have lost the traditional moments of transition and downtime – the M-F, the 9-5. Work and home now seep into each other, especially if you embrace hybrid work. Many of us haven’t realized our physical commute (as rough as it might have been) was a mental switch from “work” to “home”. LEARN HOW TO ASK FOR A WINDOW OF TIME IN THE DAY THAT WILL NOT GET INTERRUPTED BY WORK. Then learn to stick to it. Even firefighters and ER nurses have days off.
• What is your pressure valve? It could be a physical activity such as running or working out. When my son is anxious, he is on his guitar “I play music so I don’t bite my nails.” Or a night out with friends, or in with Netflix. Journaling, meditating, a long walk. First figure out how you recover. Then MAKE IT A NON-NEGOTIABLE ON YOUR REGULAR SCHEDULE.
• Take your vacation: And make sure you UNPLUG. You may think you can get by on a sequence of long weekends to leverage your North American 12-day vacation budget, but given that people on a sabbatical take three months to detox from stress, consider taking at least one contiguous week a year, preferably in nature, where you can touch the earth and view open horizons. Check Alexandra Allen’s recent edition There’s a Crack in Everything, thats How the Light Gets In for the value on unplugging from the grind (particularly for solopreneurs) .
• Don’t suffer in silence. Asking for help is hard, but it is a step. (Denis Trottier)

This is one reason why REST is a focus every 7th edition of this newsletter. It is a key 21st-century skill. The REST editions encourages us to think about rest, start a conversation with others, take time for ourselves, and catch up on sleep – allowing our subconscious mind to spark our natural regeneration and creativity.

 

 

Walk the talk; Put it on the agenda; Advocate – three things managers can do

Managers invest energy in recruiting great teams. In this new work era, creating the space for your team to express their mental moods can improve your group productivity and retention stats. It may not have been a management competency in the Industrial Era, but advocating for robust mental health care packages can attract young workers and improve retention across all age groups.

• Remind staff to respect their boundaries and to take vacations so that they establish balance. Have conversations. Set expectations, particularly for young employees recently added to the workforce, who worked primarily out of their bedrooms during these past years.
• Encourage team members to trial-run their benefits package for mental health. When 80% of your staff have accessed mental health resources, the stigma is reduced. It is normalized just like getting regular dental checkups or taking parental leave.
• Remember that while your staff brings their whole physical self to work, they may be distracted by issues at home, particularly post-pandemic and in hybrid work conditions. The reality of the Future of Work is the blurring between home and work. Invisible factors such as loss, ill health, and WFH, may be seeping in. Pay particular attention to high-performing staff (who are stunned to realize their productivity issues might be due to mental struggles) and BIPOC staff (who may not be getting validation at home).

A.L.E.C. – a way for each one to support one

You have read down to here. And you are asking … “OK, Karena. I’m not a manager. What can ‘I’ do?” In this giant community of mankind, we can support each other. Friends. Neighbours. Virtual classmates.

[39:00] Denis Trottier made the point that typically 71% of the population will respond with “I’m fine” … even during COVID! As such, it is important that we reach out to those within our sphere of care. He uses ALEC to guide him as he reaches out:

Ask: “How are you … really.”
Listen: And when they respond, listen … without judgment (particularly valuable for those of us who are parents!)
Engage and Encourage Action: Direct them to available resources, make connections to free resources such as jack.org or Movember for family or friends without access to paid benefits. My son and his university buddies have been running Movember challenges for six years now. I am proud to watch them understand the importance of supporting each other, and happily throw money their way (even though some of them still struggle to grow chin hairs)
Check-in: Make it easy for the dialogue to happen. “I haven’t seen you on the chats recently. All good? I’d love to have a catchup. How about tomorrow?” It is easy for people to hide in a hybrid work model. If you sense someone is having a tough time, reach out first.

I mention free Canadian resources. Please research what is available in your geography and keep the numbers/urls handy.

 

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Make. Take. Talk.

This is an important topic. Thank you for sticking with me. I would like to follow the advice of Stephanie Jones and have “Frequent Conversations”. Let me know which of these many topics you would like to see explored in future editions.

Let this be the start of a productive and frequent discussion on mental wellness that we are all willing to embrace, for ourselves and for those within the sphere of our care.

Please share this edition with someone who needs to hear this message, today.

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Pairings:

Other essays on this topic. Ideas on the Future of Work impacting all facets of our lives

• E64: Shifts Seep into Existence
• E65: History Smooshes Stuff
• E66: Becoming
• E78: Mind the Gap – the Future of Work essay you didn’t know you needed