The perceived stigma of mental ill health prevents many sufferers from speaking to their employers about their condition; work-related stress may result in mental health problems when experienced over a long period of time – Dr. Bobomurod Keldiyorov, Specialist Family Medicine at Canadian Specialist Hospital
- How does workplace wellness affect health?
There is a staggering growth in lifestyle-related diseases (ex: diabetes) all due to unhealthy habits such as diet and lack of exercise. Workplace wellness programs are the ones who can trigger and fuel behavior change, influencing everything from employees’ daily healthy habits to health in general. When employees are making changes in their lifestyle – like getting more sleep, quitting smoking, and eating less fast food, when they are educated about their health status through health screenings, they can treat and reverse any health risks (like high blood sugar or high blood pressure) before it’s too late.
- How does one ensure wellness in the workplace?
Companies are more and more aware nowadays that there is a direct link between the health and happiness of the employees and productivity. Due to this fact, they are keen to implement wellness programs at the workplace by facilitating free health screening for their employees at the employer premises (blood pressure, random blood sugar, BMI) as well as constantly educating them about the health risks and how to prevent health issues trough lectures and workshops designed for employees.
- Does workplace stress impact mental health too?
Over time, continued strain on your body from routine workplace stress may contribute to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and as studies show, other illnesses as well as mental disorders like depression or anxiety.
Work-related stress and mental health often go together. The symptoms of stress and common mental health problems are similar, for example, loss of appetite, fatigue and fearfulness can be symptoms of both.
Work-related stress may trigger an existing mental health problem that the person may otherwise have successfully managed without letting it affect their work.
For people with existing mental health issues, work-related stress may worsen their problem. If work-related stress reaches a point where it has triggered an existing mental health problem, it becomes hard to separate one from the other.